The Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, has condemned the violent incidents that marred the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun, including the assault on former Fisheries Minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson.
Speaking at the maiden Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House on Monday, July 13, Mr Muntaka disclosed that he personally reached out to Hawa Koomson to express sympathy and to encourage her full cooperation with police investigations.
“I called the Honourable Hawa Koomson to empathise with her. I asked what happened, and she explained. I told her I have instructed the IGP to investigate her thoroughly. My plea to her is that when they invite you, go and make all your facts available so that it will help them to ascertain what truly happened,” he said.
The Ablekuma North rerun on Friday was overshadowed by scenes of violence across 19 polling stations, with reports of physical confrontations, assaults on journalists, and attacks on political figures. The events sparked widespread condemnation from civil society organisations and political leaders, prompting renewed calls for electoral reforms and better security management during elections.
Perpetrators Will Face Justice
Mr Muntaka vowed that all individuals involved in the violent incidents would be arrested and prosecuted, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“I have spoken to the IGP firmly on all the happenings of Ablekuma North, and the videos have been forwarded to him. We’ve instructed him to act swiftly and bring the perpetrators to book,” he said.
“We are not going to condone wrongdoing, whether it involves people from within our party or from outside.”
The Minister reaffirmed the Interior Ministry’s commitment to public safety and the rule of law, stating: “The Ministry is keen to seize every opportunity presented to it towards executing its mandate, plans, programmes, and ensuring peace and security for the good people of Ghana.”
Vigilantism and Political Violence Condemned
Mr Muntaka reminded Ghanaians of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), stressing that the government will not tolerate political thuggery. “I want to remind myself and all Ghanaians [about] the provision of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019, Act 999, that all of us need to be mindful of the activities of vigilantism,” he said.
Describing the violence as unacceptable, he added, “It is a scar on all of our consciences that as a people who have practised democracy for over three decades, we can’t simply just go and have elections and it be violence-free.”
The Minister commended the current leadership for their decisive public stance against the violence.
“Almost all of us at the top have condemned it. In the past, you would not get that. The Vice President has done that. The President is out of the country, and the Vice President is leading us, and she condemned it.”
Journalist Assault Incident
On the specific incident of a journalist being assaulted, Mr Muntaka confirmed that the police officer involved has been identified. “We know where he is, we know where we can find him, and we can easily go after him,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the difficulties in locating some of the other offenders, pointing out that they often “vanish from the system.”
Despite these challenges, the Minister gave a firm assurance: “We are not going to allow this to go unpunished. The law will have to take its course.”
He concluded by urging all Ghanaians to contribute to national peace, stating, “We must all contribute our quota in ensuring that we live peacefully with each other regardless of gender, religion, ethnic origin, or economic or social status.”