'Pratt Commends NPP Leadership For Apologising'

Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, has commended leadership of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for rendering an apology over their recent demonstration on the streets of Kumasi. The Ashanti Regional Police Command described the demonstration by the opposition party as the "most disorganized" protest march in the annals of the country's history. DCOP Kofi Boakye, the Regional Police Commander, accused the demonstrators of failing to comply with the rules which were delineated by the Police Service. According to him, the organizers and participants in the demonstration completely disregarded earlier agreements with the Police on how to embark on the demonstration. Consequently, the Ashanti Regional Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Alex Attivor Sawyer called for the arrest of the organizers and NPP leaders for staging the alleged illicit protest in Kumasi, last Tuesday. But the NPP leadership has since apologized to the general public and the Police. It is in this respect that Kwesi Pratt lauded them and hoped all parties would replicate their post-demonstration action. Speaking on Radio Gold's "Alhaji Alhaji" programme on Saturday, Mr. Pratt however slammed the organizers of the demonstration for flouting the orders of the Police Service. According to him, their lack of adherence to laid down rules and agreed guidelines could have brought about chaos, if another group had emerged to counter their actions. He explained that outlaws within communities in Kumasi could have associated themselves with the demonstrators and undertook criminal activities under the guise of the demonstration; something he stressed, would have compounded the challenges of the Police. Contributing further to the political analysis programme, Mr. Pratt took a swipe at his colleagues who used to play key roles in demonstrations but of late become apathetic towards it. Kwesi Pratt wondered why the 'kingpins' in leading demonstrations in the nation have all become dormant since Ex-President Kufour's era in 2001 and questioned their rationale for their resistance to join demonstrators in the country to register their displeasure with the performance of any government in power. He therefore urged them to wake up and take action, asking whether they are suddenly "fatigued" in their pursuit of justice.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/peacefmonline.com