Following reports of an alleged physical attack on former Awutu Senya MP Hawa Koomson during the Ablekuma North election rerun on Friday, July 11, 2025, Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw, the CEO of the Minerals Development Fund and National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says she has no sympathy for Koomson.
While observing the election process at the Odorkor Methodist 1 polling station, Dr. Bissiw justified her unrepentant attitude by pointing to her personal history of political violence that was allegedly instigated by Koomson.
”My word to the very person who attacked me, who brought thugs to attack me as a former member of Parliament during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election. She came with about 30 thugs to me; I was beaten”
She narrated how she narrowly escaped further harm during the said attack:
”When the police managed to put me in their car, they chased me. What saved me from the moving car was my seatbelt.”
Dr Bissiw detailed more of what transpired on that day, adding:
The former MCE for Teshie tried to intervene, but he was beaten. His wife was beaten.
She firmly refused to show sympathy for Koomson, even though she categorically denounced all forms of electoral violence:
What about those who were killed as a result of the violence at Kasoa? What will you tell their families? What about our MP for Kasoa and what she went through?
Dr Bissiw rejected any claims that her political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), was involved in the latest incident.
”I condemn any form of electoral violence or any form of violence… She should advise herself and advise her own people. And let nobody point fingers at NDC because we didn’t do it”.
Reacting to public calls for her to show empathy toward Koomson, she remained firm:
Don’t ask me to feel sorry for Hawa Koomson because I will be lying before you and God. I don’t feel sorry one bit.
She went on to question whether she deserved the violence meted out to her in the past:
”I am a victim of Hawa Koomson. Ask her if I deserved the men that she brought to come and attack me. Ask her about the people they shot and killed at Kasoa and the organiser who died. Go and ask her. The gun that she shot, and people died; did they deserve it?
And ask Hawa Koomson about the slaps that they gave me when they were pulling me out of my moving vehicle to continue beating me. Ask Hawa Koomson, “Did I deserve it?
Dr Bissiw concluded by saying:
”If I didn’t deserve it, I think she thought I did, because she brought the thugs to come and attack me. So whatever happened, if I did, she deserves it better.”
Dr. Hannah Bissiw’s remarks give the discussion of political violence in Ghana a very intimate and sentimental dimension. She feels that her own traumatic experiences have not been recognized or addressed, which is why she is unwilling to show sympathy for Hawa Koomson.
