Dr. Kwame Asiedu Sarpong, a fellow at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-GHANA), has urged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to demonstrate good faith by disqualifying the party’s parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East, Ernest Frimpong, from contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Ernest Frimpong, the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East, has been accused of rallying illegal miners to resist military forces enforcing anti-galamsey laws.
A video that has gone viral, shows him allegedly encouraging illegal miners to confront police and military personnel who enter their mining sites to forcefully halt their operations.
Despite Frimpong’s denial of allegations of in sighting illegal miners against the military, he was apprehended by the police and subsequently released on bail following an interrogation.
Dr Asiedu Sarpong in an interview with Millicent Safo-Adu on Bresosem at Abusua FM indicated that individuals who speak in such a manner do not deserve to represent the people in Parliament but rather should face legal consequences, including imprisonment if convicted.
He emphasized “if what he said violates our laws, they should take him to court. Additionally, his political party (NPP) should show good faith by not allowing him to contest the election if it turns out that indeed he said it.”
He insisted “Someone who speaks like this does not deserve to go to Parliament; instead, he deserves to be in prison.”
Dr. Sarpong expressed shock at the people seen in the viral video clapping for Frimpong’s incendiary comments, which violate Ghanaian laws.
“they were clapping for someone who was telling them to poison our water bodies and inciting the illegal miners against military officers who are protecting our water bodies,…we do some in this country ooo”, he stressed.
Dr Asiedu Sarpong questioned why the Western Regional Minister who heads the Regional Security Council, the District Chief Executive, the police officer, and the citizens in the video did not recognize the illegality of Frimpong’s statements.
He wondered, “So, the Minister, the DCE, the Police personnel, and the citizens in the video; if this tape hadn’t leaked, none of them would have seen what the Parliamentary Candidate said was against our laws?”
The parliamentary candidate who has subsequently apologized in the media for the excesses in his statements argues that his comments during the two-hour meeting with small-scale miners were misconstrued.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kwadwo Owusu
