The Assembly Man for Wuoyeman Electoral Area in the Okaikwei Central, Hon. Patrick Awuku has debunked the allegations in the media circles that he has been arrested by the Achimota Police for organising thugs to beat innocent people who have gone to register at the Okaikwei EC District Office at Achimota, near Club House.
The allegation was that, at the early morning around 5:30am when the Muslim have organised themselves to pray, Hon. Awuku and other Assembly members brought in thugs with Cutlass, Knives, Sticks to the registration center, where they took people’s Phones, Money, and whatever they could find from them.
It was alleged that when people got wind of the attack and rushed to the registration center, they got to their heels, but unfortunately for Hon. Patrick Awuku and his aid, they couldn’t run fast enough and were arrested and sent to the Achimota Police Station.
Given an account of what happened, Hon. Awuku in an interview stated, “Yesterday morning like what every politician, every Assembly member does, someone called me that his child has attained 18 years and wants to register her. So, I sent the first batch including Mr. Boakye Yiadom’s daughter, Nana Adwoa and other girls to the registration center. I went back to pick second batch. When I got there, I saw NDC Akweteyman Assembly man called Hon. Lybia who doubled as NDC Youth Organizer for Okaikwei North. I also saw Assembly member for Anumle. We are all friends and there is no problem between us”.
He added that, it was during their conversation that the Assembly man for Abofu by nickname name “Governor” also came in but, he left them later to visit those applicants he brought to the registration center.
“I was still talking with those I brought when I heard a sound at my back saying, stupid people leave here and go. In fact, they were beating everybody. Nobody was asked if they were NPP or NDC. They came to attack the center. So if someone even says the people came to beat NDC people, it is a big lie and the person does not fear God and also not saying the truth. The center takes care of Okaikwei North and Okaikwei Central. Everybody was running for his/her live. Mr. Boakye I visited him at the hospital, the daughter told me that at the time of running, she didn’t remember coming to the center with the father and she fell down 3 times. It happened in between 5:15 to 5:30am and the action lasted less than 5 minutes. I even ran and left the children I was standing there with”.
He averred that when the people came, they were beating everybody leading to a situation where everybody was running for their lives. “It happened around 5:15 to 5:30 am and their action happened within not more than 5 minutes. I even run and left the children I sent to the center.
“How can I use my car to carry people to the registration Centre to register and at the same time, organized thugs to come and beat up the same people I have sent to the center? Does that make sense, he asked”.
Hon. Awuku revealed that as they were chatting, he left them to visit those he brought to the registration center so in the process, he saw people coming from the roadside which he thought were brought there to come and register as it is being done always.
He pointed out that even common sense should tell even the accusers that, how can the same person who had brought people to come and register at the centre turned back to bring thugs to come and beat them?.
“As I’m talking, look at the condition of Mr. Boakye at the Legon hospital. The very man I came to the center with for his daughter to go and register. They have hit the leg with a stick and the bone is broken. So as an Assembly Man, who had brought people to come and register would turned back to bring thugs to beat them. This is common sense”.
He disclosed that it was after the incident and was looking for those he brought to the center when, one of the NDC member from Akweteyman came to tell him that they have broken the leg of someone so, it was when he got there before I got to know that it was the very Mr. Boakye he brought to the center with the daughter whose leg was broken.
According to Hon. Patrick Awuku, it was the NDC guy who assisted in bringing a block for the broken leg to be put on before rushing him to the Achimota hospital.
He alleged that when later the NDC guy who assisted in helping Mr. Boakye saw a pick-up with the Abofo Assembly member in, he accused him for being behind the thugs attack so, they quickly rushed on him where they succeeded in damaging his car.
“So, my only fault they accused me of was, telling the Abofu Assembly Man to move the car to the police station. As an assembly man should I stand there for someone to be killed? We were all there when the thugs came to attack us. He was also hit with a stick on the leg and was holding his leg in the car. Those who went and attacked Governor in his car are all NDC people. That one I know for a fact and I can testify everywhere”.
Hon. Awuku indicated that in about an hour later when all of them have gone back to the center, he went to stand close to the police and told them that he was expecting that, when such attacks happened, they would arrest people to serve as a warning to others.
“It was at the time of talking to the police when the very NDC guy who accused Governor for being behind the thugs attack, pointed his fingers at me saying I was the one who told Governor to move his car. So, the NDC supporters got angry and were coming towards me. Therefore, the police men told me that for my security sake, I should enter their vehicle. At that time, they were attacking one of my boys and the police rescued and brought him also into their vehicle and they drove us out to the Achimota police station. We were there when I saw that the NDC people were coming so, the only thing I could do was to go and seat at the back of the counter and that is how come they were saying I was arrested.
He said the NDC people came there to write an official statement where some complained that about Ghc7, 000 of their money got missing including other things and we were also asked to write our statement and left the station.
The descending NDC members (including their former Chairman Fiifi Taylor and Mr. Kwaku Asare) he stressed, were even telling them that there was no way he (Hon. Awuku) would bring thugs to come and attack innocent people because they know him very were with his kindness lifestyle in.
