The opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) has filed a complaint of ethnic profiling against the Akufo-Addo administration at the United Nations(UN), General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has revealed.
The party has accused the government of engaging in ethnic profiling as Ewes in border towns across the country have been denied access to register in the voters registration exercise on the basis that they are Togolese.
The NDC at a press conference earlier in the week demanded the immediate withdrawal of military personnel at registration centres in the Banda Constituency in the Bono Region and from other parts of the country.
According to the National Communications Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi says the presence of the military in registration centres was creating tribal tensions in those places.
The General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia in an interview with Kasapa FM vehemently condemned the use of the military, added that he’s successfully collected evidence of ethnic profiling to make the NDC’s case before the UN a solid one.
“What we’ve realized is that the Akufo-Addo government is embarking on ethnic profiling and discriminating against one tribe when you speak a particular language(Ewe) you’re declared non-Ghanaian. This is a very serious issue which shouldn’t be toyed with, the same thing is happening in Rohingya. It is a condemnable international crime and so as I speak to you the NDC has reported the matter to the United Nations(UN). The UN says we have no evidence to back our case so we should collect evidence and submit same.
“So when I was arguing with the Soldiers I told them my coming to this area is to collect evidence so they should bear it in mind and put themselves on alert that whatever they’ll say will be tended as evidence. God being so good, I took videos of the happenings and so I have the evidence that I need to provide to the UN,” Asiedu Nketia added.
“Ethnic profiling” is defined as the use by police, security, immigration or customs officials of generalisations based on race, ethnicity, religion or national origin – rather than individual behaviour or objective evidence – as the basis for suspicion in directing discretionary law enforcement actions.
