The Convenors of Global Zongo People in the National Democratic Congress(NDC) have added their voice to the call by Ambassador Alhaji Sinare to the President Akufo-Addo-led government to respect the right of all Ghanaians to express themselves through demonstration or protest without brutalities and intimidations.
A press release signed by the group noted that its position is that the crime committed by the police against their brothers and sisters in the Zongo communities is far too many have victimised.
“The position of the Global Zongo People in NDC is that this crime committed by the police against our brothers and sister in our Zongo community is one that is far too many that have victimised so many families within our communities though out the nation. There is no evidence of any community in Ghana whose population have consistently suffered these levels of police and military brutality and fatality with impunity apart from the Zongo community”.
READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE BELOW:
WE CONDEMN ALL INJUSTICES AGAINST ZONGO PEOPLE
Global Zongo People in NDC adds its voice to the call by H.E. Alhaji Senare to Akufo-Addo and the entire executive arm of government to respect the right of all Ghanaians to express themselves through demonstration or protest without the brutalities and intimidations that have come to characterise this administration. We also express our profound solidarity with yet again, another Zongo people who have become victims of another injustice at the hands of state police and armed forces.
The position of the Global Zongo People in NDC is that this crime committed by the police against our brothers and sister in our Zongo community is one that is far too many that have victimised so many families within our communities though out the nation. There is no evidence of any community in Ghana whose population have consistently suffered these levels of police and military brutality and fatality with impunity apart from the Zongo community. This is despite the institutional and systemic biases and discriminations against us in accessing public services in Ghana. Even in the socio-economic and political arenas we belong to, sadly, we feel discrimination. Unfortunately, this represents the realistic experience of a Ghanaian who lives in or identifies him or herself to be a person from Zongo.
It is ironical that, the young Ghanaians schooling citizens who rightfully took to the street to press on the authorities to ensure their road to and from school are safe and devoid of road accidents, were not killed, injured, or maimed by any road accident, which is their main fear but, by the state institutions with the responsibility of keeping them safe. Indeed, how sad.
The sadness is not only about this occasion but also the prevalence of these atrocities against us over a protracted period in our democratic dispensation. The most recent ones include:
The gruesome murder of our brothers on the 7th of July 2018. Seven of us were killed in Asawase Zongo, Kumasi.
In the early months of this year, our communities in Bawku were besieged by heavy handed state security forces who were heavily armed with armoured cars and war gears. As a routine, they killed, maimed, injured and traumatised our families. Nothing happened.
On the 31st of January 2019, our brothers were killed, mutilated, and injured during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election. Nothing happened.
On the 28th of June last year, two of our brothers were brutally killed in cold blood by these same security forces in Ejura with several others injured for rightfully protesting against the killing of a member of the Zongo community because he was criticizing this Akufo-Addo and his governance. This catalogue goes on and on and we trust these few suffice to make our case. This deep-seated appetite to attack, abuse and brutality people of Zongo whether in or outside our communities within the forces must IMMEDIATELY STOP with all urgency. In as much as we accept solidarity with our plight, we demand a cessation of these injustices.
The audacity with which these security forces get away with perpetuating this carnage against us or get rewarded and the discrimination we face from state institutions are gradually building a national mindset that is firmly getting structural position within our society to suggest that, injustice against us is normal because there is no price to pay whatsoever. That is dangerous for the society we are collectively trying to build.
We firmly condemn the profound silence of the bigoted, hypocritical element in our societies who have been wrongly charged with the responsibility of establishing balance when such incidents of injustices are being meted out to citizens of Ghana. They must be ashamed of themselves. We also condemn all the hypocrites who use religion, chieftaincy, and social respect we accord them to help in the perpetuation of these injustices against us. We know them all and they must be ashamed of themselves. We condemn all active and passive politicians who fail to join forces in advocating the cessation of the continuous carnage and brutally of Zongo people by both the army and police forces.
The Global Zongo People in NDC opines that stakeholder must understand that God has never created any being with infinite capacity and or capability to accept and endure infinite brutality, injustice, and humiliation at the hands of another being. As a people, we are gradually reaching a point where we are beginning to see our state institutions that are meant to affirm, protect, and promote our peace, dignity, and prosperity becoming the enemies against our peace, our dignity, our identity, and our prosperity. This is a dangerous position to be in. And we the people of Zongo in or outside Ghana would not be the first of such creation.
We are by this understanding of the natural state of the human capacity and our social conditions calling on Akufo-Addo, The Parliament, The Judiciary, The Media, and leaders within our societies to, with URGENCY, take practical steps to ensure the stoppage of these injustices being meted out against us. We therefore submit the following recommendation:
- The immediate arrest and prosecution of these criminal security officers in accordance with our laws and the state must ensure that all within the chain of command who influenced this decision are also made to face the full force of the law.
- We demand a fair and independent enquiry into this and historical brutality and killing of Zongo people by the security forces as a step towards ensuring we do not experience this security criminality again.
- We suggest the state begins to acknowledge the existence of institutional discrimination against Zongo people hence start a process of ameliorating this canker.
The Global Zongo People in NDC assures all the people of all our Zongo communities of our unconditional support and solidarize with all the victims of these injustices.
The Zongo People in NDC Convenors,
Farakhan (Issaka Sannie)…UK [farakhani@yahoo.com]
Safianou Nassamou…Germany
Abdul J. Ntorma…Nigeria
Faiza Bawa…Germany
Zakari Mohammed…UK
Taufik Sulemana…Germany
Karim Swalah…Italy
Rafiatu A. Musah…USA
Zayad G. Damba…Italy
Fusseini Ibrahim…Holland
Shamsu Umaru…Bahrain
Stephen Mujib… Australia
Nazifatu Rahman…Norway
