The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has called on the Ghana Police Service to immediately release the detained National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for the Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Central Region, Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor.
Mahama in a Facebook post on Friday evening, June 7, said “I urge the IGP to urgently reconsider his actions and release Naa Koryoo immediately for the sake of justice and the stability of our nation.”
News of Madam Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor’s detention was first publicised by the NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi. According to Mr Gyamfi, no reason has been given by the police for the arrest and subsequent detention of Madam Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunor.
In a post on his social media page, he described the development as an attempt to silence the NDC.
Giving more details, Sammy Gyamfi explained, “Her offence is simply that a weapon (gun) was found in her car. The said weapon is registered in her name. All the necessary registration documents have been submitted to the Police.
“Unlike, Hawa Koomson who in 2020 actually fired a gun at a registration center, Naa Koryoo has not fired any gun or weapon. Yet, the …Police service is hell-bent on detaining her.”
He urged all party faithful to throng the Cantonments Police Station in Accra where Naa Koryoo Okunor has been detained.
The following public commentary on the arrest came from Mr John Mahama, the party’s 2024 flagbearer and former president, who said: “There is no justification for the decision by the Inspector General of Police George Dampare, on the orders of the National Security Advisor, Albert Kan Dapaah, to detain a Parliamentary Candidate for the Awutu Senya East Constituency in Police custody.”
This action, taken on the instructions of the National Security Secretariat, will needlessly raise the political temperature in the country and spark avoidable tension. The Police Service and the IGP must not allow themselves to be used to hang the peace and stability of our nation months before crucial national elections. I call on the IGP, the Peace Council, the government, and the people of Ghana to recognise that justice is not just a moral imperative but a crucial prerequisite for maintaining peace and stability in a nation.”