Abena Osei-Asare Urges Mahama to Respond to NPP's Democracy Petition

• Former Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare has called on President Mahama to officially address the NPP's petition
• Hundreds of opposition supporters and civil society groups marched from near the Supreme Court to Jubilee House in Accra to formally deliver their demands
• Osei-Asare warned that advisers may be concealing critical governance shortcomings from the President, urging him to act decisively

Former Deputy Finance Minister and Atiwa East Member of Parliament Abena Osei-Asare has called on President John Dramani Mahama to formally acknowledge and respond to a petition submitted by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following its recent street demonstration in Accra.

The protest, held under the banner "Democracy Under Attack," drew hundreds of opposition supporters alongside allied civil society organisations, including the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG).

According to a report by GhanaWeb, participants marched from the vicinity of the Supreme Court to Jubilee House, where they formally presented a petition outlining their concerns about civil liberties and democratic accountability in Ghana.

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Osei-Asare's call for presidential action

Speaking after the demonstration, Osei-Asare emphasised that the petition was intended to bring governance failures directly to the President's attention, particularly if those in his inner circle were not being transparent with him.

"We are asking the President to look at the situation because things are not being done right. As citizens of this nation, we need to let him know, just in case he is not aware or just in case those around him are not telling him the truth," she stated.

The Atiwa East MP argued that the current state of national affairs demands firm and decisive leadership from the presidency, and that the time for inaction has passed.

"Clearly, things have gone haywire and he needs to put his foot down and do the right thing. That's all we are asking of him," Osei-Asare said.

"We are waiting for him to respond and that is what a responsible President should do," she added.

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NPP awaits government response

Osei-Asare's remarks signal that the NPP regards a formal presidential response as a measure of Mahama's commitment to democratic governance.

The petition, delivered at Jubilee House during the demonstration, sets out what the opposition describes as critical shortcomings in the administration's approach to civil liberties and accountability.

The MP stopped short of outlining specific consequences should the presidency fail to respond, but her comments make clear that the opposition intends to hold the government accountable for addressing the issues raised.

Gov't official responds to NPP's petition

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Mustapha Gbande had publicly rejected the NPP’s petition following the opposition party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.

Gbande, who also served as NDC Deputy General Secretary, said the government would not be distracted by what he described as politically motivated actions.

The senior official argued that the peaceful nature of the march had demonstrated the strength of Ghana’s constitutional freedoms.

Source: YEN.com.gh