Soldiers sent to Banda are ‘drunkards’, they look like ‘Rebels on drugs’ – Asiedu Nketia

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has questioned the professional manners of military personnel deployed to reportedly oversee electoral peace at the Banda Constituency.

Asiedu Nketia accused these military officers of not only "reeking of alcohol", but having the demeanour of "rebels on drugs".

He alleged that the deployed military personnel are rather supporting the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate to flout the agreement signed by the two main political parties.

Asiedu Nketia’s comments come at the back of the death of an individual in Banda following some ‘disturbances’, which led to military officers being deployed to the area.

The NDC have however accused the government of targeting certain groups in the deployment of these military personnel, in an alleged attempt to deter them from participating in the voters’ registration.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah was in this regard, seen in a video on social media ‘clashing’ with military over their interference in the registration process.

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The soldiers, according to him, were intimidating residents participating in the ongoing mass voter registration exercise.

Throwing more light on the issue on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Asiedu Nketia described the military’s activities in Banda as unnecessary

 “The military officers on duty have no business to stop people from taking part in the registration exercise. They can't block the road to stop people from registering. You should see those military officers on duty smelling of alcohol; blowing ‘fuse’ when they were talking to me. They looked like rebels on drugs and you could not look into their eyes and if you don't take care, you will get drunk talking them,” he asserted.

He claimed that Mr. Joe Danquah who is the Parliamentary Candidate for the ruling NPP is acting on his words as he is said to have stated that he will not comply with the agreement the two parties have signed to.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has given reasons for deploying military personnel to the Banda area for the last phase of the mass voters registration exercise.

According to the GAF, in a statement, the deployment followed a request by the Bono Regional Security Council (REGSEC).

The military high command denied targeting any particular tribe and admonished the public to disregard any such report.