The Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress has described attempt by the Police to seek a restraining order from the court to prevent the Arise Ghana demonstrators from demonstrating into the night as a “smokescreen choreographed to deny overburdened and suffering Ghanaians from venting their frustrations about the corrupt Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government through street protest.”

According to the NDC youth, a trivial issue as the scheduled time for the Arise Ghana demonstration could have been settled with organizers without necessarily resorting to “a last minute crude tactics to frustrate the organizers.”

The youth in a statement noted that “Indeed, the organizers, from media reports, have so far cooperated with the Police and had even acquiesced to demands by the Police to change the scheduled time to a proposed one by the Police” asking “If the Police had a change of mind on the agreed time with the organizers, what prevented the IGP or his lawful assigns from re-engaging the organizers to find a middle ground”?

The statement urged the organisers of the demonstration not to be unsettled by “these cowardice tactics by the Police and government.”

It said the resolve by all young people in the country is that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has lost track on its promised deliverables and must be kicked out.

“We stand in solidarity with the organisers and would lend all support where necessary to ensure Ghanaians rise in unison against this tyrannical government,” the statement added.

It comes after the Police in a statement said it had filed processes at the court to prevent the Arise Ghana demonstrators from picketing and demonstrating deep into the night in the interest of public safety.

Below are details of the NDC Youth statement:

The Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress has become aware of a press statement by the Ghana Police Service unashamedly communicating its decision to use the Court to thwart a planned demonstration by pressure group, Arise Ghana. The reasons stated in the Police statement for desperately seeking restraining order from the Court, on the face of available facts, are only smokescreen choreographed to deny overburdened and suffering Ghanaians from venting their frustrations about the corrupt Akufo Addo/Bawumia government through street protest.

While the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare enjoyed the goodwill of Ghanaians when he was appointed, and exhibited traits of an upright officer ready to honour the tenets of his profession, he has turned out to be a puppet of a corrupt regime. Annoyingly, the IGP, without mincing words, has carved an unenviable niche for himself as someone comically interested in protecting a gang of thieves in government rather than the very poor people whose taxes he is feeding on.

A trivial issue as the scheduled time for the Arise Ghana demonstration could have been settled with organizers without necessarily resorting to a last minute crude tactics to frustrate the organizers. Indeed, the organizers, from media reports, have so far cooperated with the Police and had even acquiesced to demands by the Police to change the scheduled time to a proposed one by the Police. If the Police had a change of mind on the agreed time with the organizers, what prevented the IGP or his lawful assigns from re-engaging the organizers to find a middle ground?

More so, on what account did the Police changed its mind in the last minute to break ranks with the organizers? This unholy behaviour by the Dampare-led Police administration speaks to one undeniable fact - that the Police hierarchy, against the wishes of some of its junior officers, have sworn to fight any well-meaning Ghanaian who dares question the wanton dissipation of scarce resources by the reckless Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

We would not be surprised that the Police hierarchy have taken up this unpatriotic hatchet job because they are accomplice in the unreasonable raping of our dear country. A protest such as the Arise Ghana demonstration should and must be embraced by every Ghanaian who wishes this country well. The only adversaries would be the criminals in government looting the State, and sadly, the Police hierarchy appears to have gleefully joined them as their protective cover.

If the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has performed to the satisfaction of all, why would it be remote-controlling the IGP to block a peaceful street protest? History has it that failed governments, like the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, always resort to weakening of otherwise independent State institutions in order to have a field day to steal without anyone raising a winker. We can assure the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government that the IGP and his cohorts may be in bed with them today, but the day of reckoning where the Ghanaian people would say 'enough is enough' is now here with us.

We urge organizers of the Arise Ghana demonstration not to be unsettled by these cowardice tactics by the Police and government. The resolve by all young people of our Country is that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has lost track on its promised deliverables and must be kicked out. We stand in solidarity with the organizers and would lend all support where necessary to ensure Ghanaians rise in unison against this tyrannical government.

Signed

George Opare Addo, Esq

National Youth Organizer,

National Democratic Congress.