The Nkwanta South branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Oti Region has strongly condemned the attack on three Catholic priests in the area.
The priests, identified as Father Robinson Melkis, Father Frank Henry Jacob, and Father Martin George, were assaulted by irate youth believed to be connected with the NDC on Wednesday, 11 December, for allegedly stealing District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) equipment. They were accompanied by two officials of the Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly, who were also assaulted by the youth.
However, the Ghana Police Service has disclosed that its preliminary investigation suggests that, the three missionary priests were travelling with officials from the Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly, including the Municipal Engineer to Chieso to inspect a plot of land they had cleared using the DRIP machinery.
In the statement dated 12 December, the police noted that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akufo-Dampare, has spoken with the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, and pledged his commitment to apprehending the suspects.
Meanwhile, in a statement also dated Thursday, 12 December, the Nkwanta South NDC Secretariat condemned the incident, describing it as “unacceptable and against the very fabric of our society.”
The statement, signed by the Constituency Secretary, Prince Fiagadzi, clarified that preliminary findings indicate:
The assaulted men are Catholic priests. They did not steal the machines and equipment in question. They were not adorned in their priestly regalia because they were on their way to the project site.
Fiagadzi further stated that the constituency leadership of the party has since visited the priests and apologised to them.
