A MONTHLY CHRONOLOGY OF MOBOCRACY UNDER PROF MILLS

Qanawu Gabby

In May 2009, Nana Akufo-Addo made a statement that was twisted by his detractors in the ruling party to portray him as rather a bellicose character on the outs and his party belligerent:
“Fellow Ghanaians, Instead of uniting us and fostering peace, the last four months have been spent intimidating innocent citizens and political opponents. We have seen physical attacks on NPP members in several parts of the country, including Agbobloshie, Kumasi, and Tamale.

“In the Tamale incidents of February 17th, violence erupted after discussions on Radio Justice following the seizure of my vehicle by agents of National Security. According to the report of the NPP Committee sent to investigate, which was confirmed by the press, there were arson attacks in Nyihini, Lameshegu, Worizehi, Choggu and Gumbihini.
“All the 27 properties that were attacked belonged to NPP members. Not a single one belonged to an NDC member. In the most outrageous case, Madame Sadia Seidu, a thirty-five year-old Nursing Officer and wife of Mr. Bawa Baako Alhassan, was brutally assaulted after a mob burnt and razed down the family’s 18-room house.
“She was chased by a mob of about a hundred, firing gun shots behind her. She ran 400 yards down the street to the house of an NDC member, where the gang attacked her and inflicted multiple cutlass wounds on her.
“No one has been arrested and charged for the attempted murder of Sadia, even though she identified those who led the mob attack. No attempt has been made by the state to assist the innocent victims, numbering about 800, who had their homes and belongings destroyed.”

After laying this foundation, Nana Akufo-Addo went on to forewarn: “The NPP’s leadership has worked very hard to restrain our supporters from reacting to these acts of intimidation and provocation. I am very concerned that sooner or later, militants on our side convinced that the state cannot or will not protect them, may take measures to protect their interests, themselves and their loved ones. Events will then be out of control, driving all of us towards a point of no return.
All of us, the President, the ruling party, the parties in opposition and civil society must, together, act to make our country peaceful and safe, and thus preserve our democracy for posterity.”

Unknown to Ghanaians, this was the beginnings of a mobocracy that would end up devouring the extended family of the mob, including MCEs, DCEs, Regional Ministers.

The splenetic reaction of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to the apparent inaction of the Techiman police to the alleged kidnapping and battery of the Tuobodom Omanhene underlined the emerging culture of mobocracy under Mills.

In 2008, Ghanaians were told the contest was between an ‘Asomdwehene’ (King of Peace) and a firebrand cocaine addict. The false and dirty defamatory propaganda obviously had an impression on some voters and the King of Peace won by the slimmest margin in our history (0.4%). But, the violence and lawlessness started even before the swearing in. In fact, it started when the votes were being counted and collated, with calls to arms to troop to the headquarters of the Electoral Commission.
Since then, on average, there have been six reports a month of major cases of mob action allegedly caused either by NDC activists or by people who, because of their political connections, believed impunity is synonymous to immunity under the umbrella. I have selected just a few monthly examples to illustrate the point:
1. NPP Still Living In Fear (6th January 2009, The Chronicle)
• Supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been living with fear over the last couple of days, since the declaration of election results in favour of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) by Dr. Kwadwo Afari Djan’s Electoral Commission, on Saturday. Whilst some have suffered brutalities at the hands of NDC supporters, others have been evicted from their homes by their landlords, for having supported the NPP during the election period. Reports coming in from the regions also confirm similar incidents in which NPP supporters have been subjected to severe beatings, with their properties being vandalized.

2. NDC youth destroy shrine (GNA, 21st Jan. 09)
• Some supporters of the National Democratic Congress Party (NDC) destroy the gods of a fetish priest at Mehame in Asutifi District for allegedly prophesying that Nana Akufo-Addo would win the 2008 presidential election.

3. Actions of NDC Transition Team come under fire (GNA, 28th Jan. 09)
• The Minority in Parliament described the summoning of the Auditor General by NDC transition team as amounting to "utter and contemptuous disregard of the law, intimidation and violation of independent constitutional bodies."

4. Ashaiman NDC supporters besiege assembly, assault Director (GNA, 10th Feb. 09)
• About 30 supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ashaiman besiege the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (AMA) and attack the Coordinating Director over management of public toilets. The Director, Mr Kwamina Akwa, was assaulted, had his spectacles destroyed and mobile phone snatched. The NDC supporters were returning from the court that heard the case involving the forcible takeover of toilets filed by operators who were managing them during the NPP administration. The Ashaiman police were informed but failed to bring the situation under control.

5. Ga-Dangbe Youth threaten to eject Kufuor (12th March 2009, Myjoyonline)
• The Ga-Dangme Youth Association threatened to demonstrate against the acquisition of an Office at Ridge in Accra by former President J.A. Kufuor.

6. NDC Youth Strike Again (23rd March 2009, Ghanaweb)
• The Nkwanta National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth joined their colleagues in Accra and other parts of the country in the vehicle snatching spree, with the Nkwanta District Coordinator of the Non-formal Education Division (NFED) and other supervisors being their first victims. The youth, numbering about 40 and allegedly led by the NDC Constituency Youth Organizer, Alidu Musah aka Suraj, rushed on the NFED Coordinator during one of her official supervision duties and seized her car, telling her that “you are an NPP activist and now that we are in power, you must handover all government properties in your care”.

7. NDC youth vandalise Party's office (7th April 2009, GNA)
• Youth supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Akwatia Constituency vandalize the Party's offices at Akwatia to protest the nomination of Mr George Agyeman-Duah as Kwaebibirem District Chief Executive (DCE). Singing war songs, the protesters smashed louvre windows and furniture, and burnt files and other stationery.

8. NDC Chairman beats up MP (16th May 2009, Daily Guide)
• The Chairman of the Ashaiman branch of the NDC, Alhaji Issifu Braimahm assaulted the MP for the area, Hon. Alfred Agbesi, for refusing to support their call to seize control over public toilets and lorry parks in the municipality. The Party Chairman delivered a heavy punch to the forehead of the Hon. MP making the Ashaiman legislator bang his head against a wall behind him. The incident took place at an executive meeting of the party at Ashaiman around 4:00 pm on the 14th of May 2009.

9. NDC supporters vandalise radio station (31st May 2009, GNA)
• An irate group of NDC youth, allegedly organized by the Member of Parliament for Techiman South in the Brong Ahafo region, Addai Simon, and led by the Constituency Organizer, Mumuni Saaka, invaded a local radio station, Classic FM, on Thursday May 28, 2009 with cutlasses, knives and sharp implements, stabbing two workers in the process and vandalized the station, leaving behind tales of woes, as the workers ran helter-skelter for dear life. The ‘Kanawu’ programme comes off every Thursday to discuss topical issues in the Techiman Municipality and had picked on a story about Hon. Addai, MP for the area who had allegedly threatened to sack National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) officials in the municipality.

10. NDC thugs seize Tamale NHIS, NYEP office (2nd June 2009, Myjoyonline)
• Thugs suspected to be sympathizers of the ruling National Democratic Congress on Tuesday raided the offices of the National Health Insurance Authority and the National Youth Employment Programme in Tamale, assaulted the workers of the two offices, threw them out and locked the office premises. The Metropolitan health scheme manager at the office, Fuseini Aminu who narrated the ordeal to Joy News said the attackers were supposed to be acting on the orders of their leaders. "We were in the office working, doing our normal work when some group of people came to tell us to leave the office immediately. I asked them what the reason was and from where did they get the authority. They told us they have been asked to come and sack us and that we should do that without complain," he narrated.

11. NDC Thugs Attack NPP Serial Callers (12th June 2009, The Chronicle)
• The Western regional Command of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has taken over investigations into circumstances that led to a brutal assault on three Serial Callers who have allegiance to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Takoradi, by suspected National Democratic Congress (NDC) thugs. The thugs, who assaulted the serial callers, were reported to have been led by one Muhammad Anaba, an NDC activist and Chairman of the Takoradi Butchers Association. The regional Crime Officer, Mr. Vincent C. Agbenyato confirmed in a telephone interview that the said Muhammed Anaba had been arrested and granted bail. Muhammed Anaba reportedly engaged one of the NPP Serial Callers by name Kofi Adu, in a fierce argument which ended on a bitter note, with the latter ordering scores of NDC thugs to assault him.

12. NDC thugs attack NHIS office (18th June 2009, GNA)
• Some youth, believed to be sympathisers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), are reported to have matched to the NHIS Secretariat in Goaso to push for the removal of the District Scheme Manager. The two were picked up early Thursday after police investigations revealed they led the youth to perpetrate the illegal act. Goaso District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Kwabena Bediako said the other perpetrators would be pursued and arrested. This is one of several such attacks that supporters of the ruling party have been accused of engaging in since the new administration assumed power.

13. Choice FM under attack (19th June 2009, Daily Guide)
• Choice FM, an Accra based private radio station, has been ordered not to broadcast a political current affairs programme it intends to start airing from this Saturday. The threatening order, which was first sent in the form of a telephone call and a sms text message from a telephone number 0244371682, was reinforced by three men who stormed the station yesterday and introduced themselves to the General Manager, Raymond Afaga-Chie, as National Security agents. The agents, said they had ‘orders from above’ to order the station not to broadcast the program because the promotional advert was injurious to the government in power and the host, Martin Adjei-Mensah, is a known student leader of the opposition NPP.

14. NDC supporters on rampage in Kumasi (26th June 2009, Myjoyonline)
• Disgruntled supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Friday vandalized properties in Kumasi, in protest against the resignation of the Sports Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak. The angry supporters reportedly assaulted a woman and valdalised her urvan bus, accusing her of making derogatory remarks about the former minister who is also MP of Asawase in Kumasi. They argued they did not understand why Alhaji Mubarak has been “forced to resign” after he had been exonerated of all charges of financial malfeasance made against him. The Asawase Constituency Secretary of the NDC, one Salifu, who led the demonstration, told Luv FM’s Elton John Brobbey the demonstrators were outraged by the development.

15. NDC supporters threaten to seize toilets in Cape Coast (19th July 2009, Myjoyonline)
• Supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), are continuing to demand the right to control toilet facilities in the country. According to Joy FM’s Central Regional Correspondent, Richard Kojo Nyarko, the angry supporters have given a three-day ultimatum after which if nothing is done they will seize all toilet facilities in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The supporters say although a selection interview was conducted to pick people from amongst them to man the toilet facilities, some machinations were being done to torpedo the process. They warned their patience is thinning.

16. Minority calls for speedy investigations into Agbogboshie killings (27th August 2009, GNA)
• The Minority in Parliament appealed to the Minister of Interior to investigate, arrest and prosecute those who masterminded the killings at Agbogbloshie, Accra. The aggressive assailants reportedly used machetes, axes, iron rods, stones and other crude or lethal weapons to hack two of the victims to death and consequently inflicted degrees of life threatening multiple wounds on others. Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu wondered why some of the people, who allegedly masterminded the killings, were still walking about freely in the streets of Accra and other places with impunity. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the victims at the hospital have allegedly named names such as Sule, Mohammed Ayatu, Sahana, Awal Voulina Naa, Sule Nabiya, Abdallah Rasta and Abdallah whom they said were responsible for the act.

To be continued
qanawu@gmail.com