The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of using military personnel to intimidate voters under the guise of enforcing a recently announced ban on grain exports.
This comes as the country grapples with a severe drought affecting the northern regions.
The government on Monday, August 26, imposed an immediate ban on grain exports, citing concerns over food security due to the ongoing drought.
Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul confirmed that military forces had been deployed to the country’s borders to enforce the ban and prevent grain smuggling.
However, the minority is raising questions about the government’s real intentions.
They allege that the deployment of the military is a strategic move to suppress votes and influence the upcoming elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Friday, James Agalga, the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, voiced the Minority’s concerns: “If they have no ulterior motives, then they ought to have given us timelines.
The fact that there are no timelines gives us reason to suspect that they only used the crisis, related to the drought up north and the potential for us to have some food security challenges, to deploy the military to intimidate voters.”
Agalga referenced events surrounding the 2020 elections as a basis for the minority’s suspicions.
He argued that without clear timelines for the military deployment, the government’s actions could be seen as an attempt to influence voter behaviour under the pretence of addressing a food security issue.
The government has yet to respond to these allegations, but the controversy highlights the ongoing tension between the ruling party and the minority, particularly in the lead-up to elections.
As the country faces significant challenges with drought and food security, these allegations add another layer of complexity to an already volatile political environment.