There’s no ethnic target in military deployment to Banda – GAF replies Gen. Mosquito, Mahama

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has said claims that military officials have been deployed to the Banda District in the Bono Region to prevent some ethnic groups from registering in the ongoing voter’s registration exercise as false. 

It comes after a viral video in which some military officials were seen asking people in queues to register questions sparking anger from a local chief in the community. Former President Mahama in reaction to the video said the government was preventing Ewes and other minority groups from registering.

But a statement signed and issued by the Director of Public Relations of the GAF, Colonel E. Aggrey-Quashie, explained that following the reported allegation of registration restrictions being placed on a section of the community in the Banda area by the military, it has become necessary to situate the issue in context and set the record straight.

“The Military wishes to state that on 30th July 2020, the Bono Regional Security Council met representatives of the two main political parties – NPP and NDC – to deliberate on the peaceful conduct of the registration exercise. This was in the wake of the disturbances that resulted in the unfortunate demise of one person.”

“The Agreement signed by Mr. Joe Danquah (NPP) and Hon Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC MP – Banda) and witnessed by the Hon Regional Minister stated as follows: ‘We the undersigned agreed today to maintain peace in the Banda District during the remaining days of the voters’ registration exercise and after, until the end of the 2020 General Elections in December 2020,” the statement added.