Akufo-Addo Led NPP Government Prevent Us From Exercising Our Constitutional Right Concerned Drivers Association Cries Out
The members of Concerned Drivers Association who had expressed their intentions to stage a three-day demonstration on the streets of Accra have blamed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for being in league with the Ghana Police Administration headed by Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to stop them.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
The members of the Concerned Drivers Association who had expressed their intentions to stage a three-day demonstration on the streets of Accra have blamed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for being in league with the Ghana Police Administration headed by Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to stop them.
"We know this is a deliberate attempt by the government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to prevent us from exercising our constitutional right.
This is because we had earlier met with the Ghana Police Service and they agreed to our proposal, so why the sudden change," the group stated in a press statement copied to Soireenews.com today Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
According to the leadership of the group, we are calling on our members to hold their fire but not to let their guns, as negotiations are still ongoing to reschedule another date for the demonstration."
The statement stressed they are apologies for any inconvenience caused by this injunction.
However, an earlier statement by the Ghana Police Service said they stopped the members of a group who had expressed their intentions to stage a three-day demonstration on the streets of Accra.
This, the Service said in a statement signed by Chief Inspector Bright Kwabena Danso of the Regional Public Affairs Unit, AR, is because the group’s planned demonstration will be in contravention of the Public Order Act of 1994.
“We would like to assure the public that the Police Service is ready and willing to provide the necessary protection for any lawful demonstration in the country.
“However, in this case, the Service is of the view that the nature and character of the demonstration as intended, is inconsistent with the Public Order Act.
“We are therefore unable to provide security for a demonstration which is in flagrant violation of the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 49) and has the potential to result in a breach of public order and public safety,” the statement said in part.
By this, the police declined the request by the group to demonstrate, while requesting it to reconsider its proposals and work with it to make their exercise a better one.
“The Service has reached out to the organizers to reconsider their proposal and work with the Police towards the organization of a lawful, peaceful, and successful demonstration.
“We wish to assure the public that in the interest of public safety and security, the Police are putting in place all necessary measures to ensure that unauthorized persons do not match the streets with weapons,” it added.
It would be recalled that the group wrote to the Accra Regional Police Command to ask it to allow them to demonstrate their private security.
The individuals also asked the police to allow demonstrators to carry their registered weapons to the march to protect themselves.
“We will bring our own security company to protect demonstrators. All weapons held by demonstrators or by the contracted security personnel will be for personal protection only; and all weapons will be duly permitted by the Arms and Ammunitions Act, 1972 (NRCD 9) e) Proposed route and destination: We expect that the Demonstrators will gather at Circle.
“The procession will move from Circle to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, where the Protestors will make a demand a slot on GTV to speak directly to the Nation and layout our grievances, by Article 55(11), which guarantees the fair opportunity to Ghanaians to present their programs to the public through equal access to the state-owned media,” the statement said.
Read the contents of the full police statement below:
Immediate Release......1/06/2022
CONCERNED DRIVERS ASSOCIATION OF GHANA
POLICE INJUNCTION ON OUR DEMONSTRATION.
The Ghana Police Service yesterday night served us with a court injunction from the High Court of Justice criminal court 3 restraining us from demonstrating with our cars as we agreed on with the police.
We know this is a deliberate attempt by the government to prevent us from exercising our constitutional rights.
We had earlier met with the Ghana Police Service and they agreed to our proposal, so why the sudden change.
We are calling on our members to hold their fire but not to let their guns, as negotiations are still ongoing to reschedule another date for the demonstration.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this injunction.
Long live Ghana
Long live Drivers
Sign...
National Secretary
Ashanti Regional chairman
National chairman
All media houses
Parliament of Ghana
All Drivers Unions
