Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande, has dismissed the petition submitted by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following its “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration, describing it as lacking merit and unworthy of the government’s attention.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM on Thursday, August 6, Mr. Gbande said the John Dramani Mahama-led administration remained focused on governing the country and addressing the needs of Ghanaians rather than being distracted by opposition-led demonstrations.
His comments came shortly after the NPP presented a petition to the Presidency outlining concerns over what the party described as threats to Ghana’s constitutional democracy, judicial independence and fundamental freedoms.
Mr. Gbande argued that the successful organisation of the demonstration was itself evidence that democratic freedoms, including the right to assemble and express dissenting views, remained protected under the current administration.
He commended the police for maintaining order during the demonstration and ensuring the protesters were able to exercise their rights without major incident.
“I’ll assume that they have successfully demonstrated. Nobody is hurt. The police have been law-abiding; they protected them quite apart from their waywardness and ensured that whatever they intended had finished,” he said.
However, Mr. Gbande questioned the substance of the petition submitted to the Presidency, insisting that it did not contain issues that warranted the government’s immediate attention.
“Let me assure you that that petition they have submitted, nobody is going to have time to read it because it doesn’t make sense, and nobody is going to waste time. We have a nation to build. We have a country to build,” he stated.
The NPP, during its August 6 demonstration, accused the government of undermining constitutional democracy and selectively applying the law, while demanding greater protection for judicial independence, free expression and political rights.
The party has also threatened sustained lawful action if its concerns are not addressed.
Mr. Gbande’s remarks, however, signal that the government does not consider the petition a matter that will alter its policy priorities, as the administration maintains its focus on governance and national development.
