- NDC won't sign peace declaration ahead of election.
- Asiedu Nketia says proactive measures, not gestures, prevent violence.
- He criticizes delayed action on potential violence.
- NDC chairman raises concern over illegal security recruitment.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced that it will not sign any peace declaration ahead of the upcoming election, according to its National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia. Asiedu Nketia expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of peace declarations, citing past experiences.
He stated that signing such agreements has not yielded any real results, and that preventing violence requires proactive measures rather than symbolic gestures. Asiedu Nketia emphasized that allowing violence to brew will lead to its occurrence, regardless of whether a declaration is signed or not.
He pointed out that he had been advocating for the removal of building blocks for a violent election over a year ago. Asiedu Nketia criticized the focus on signing peace agreements after tensions have already escalated, urging authorities to address the root causes of potential violence.
He called on those who will call for peace declarations in the future to speak up and stop issues from happening in the first place. Despite previous peace declarations involving bodies like the Council of State and the Peace Council, the 2020 election was still marred by violence, Asiedu Nketia noted.
He highlighted concerns about the illegal recruitment of about 10,000 individuals into the security services, warning that this could be a brewing source of unrest. Asiedu Nketia’s announcement comes after the NDC protested the results of the 2020 election, describing them as “flawed” and alleging that state security forces were used to intimidate voters in their strongholds.
