Ghana president suspends minister for shielding party thugs from arrest

A minister for one of Ghana’s northern regions has been suspended by the president over his role in a rowdy incident involving party members.

A statement issued from the presidency said Upper West regional minister, Sulemana Alhassan’s suspension was with immediate effect. His deputy has been ordered to take his place in an acting role.

It read in parts: “The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has suspended, with immediate effect, from office, the Minister for the Upper West Region, Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan, pending the outcome of the investigation into the unfortunate incidents that occurred at the premises of the Upper West Regional office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), in Wa, on Wednesday, 31st January, 2018.

“President Akufo-Addo reiterates his commitment to the application of the laws of the land, which must occur without fear or favour, affection or and without recourse to the political, religious or ethnic affiliations of any citizen of the land.”

Workers of the country’s main relief outfit, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) had accused the minister of shielding party hooligans who attacked NADMO’s regional offices.

The angry workers held that the minister did not values their lives because he had intervened with police to let go of the hooligans. The workers have since refused to return to work unless the assailants are arrested.

Ghana, a relatively stable democracy in the West African region since 2017 with the coming into office of Akufo-Addo has experienced political thuggery with party people harassing civil servants.

The government has said it will deal decisively with persons who seek to disrupt public order and peace irrespective of which side of the political divide they belong.