Prof Mike Ocquaye
The Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Ocquaye yesterday summoned the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul and Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery, to appear before the House on Tuesday to brief members about the recent clashes between the military and police in Tamale in the Northern region.
The speaker invited the two ministers to appear before the House following an urgent request by the minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Tamale South for the speaker to invite the two ministers over Wednesday’s clashes between some members of the security forces which left some policemen seriously injured.
The Minority leader said Wednesday’s clashes was the second in the year which could create tension between the two security institutions and threaten the security of Tamale and Northern Region in general.
He said that the situation is worrisome because a breakdown in security will lead to lawlessness and also disturb the peace and stability of the country.
“Mr Speaker, I will like you to urgently invite the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Interior to come and assure us about the safety of the people in Tamale, as well as the security in Tamale and its environs,”
The Deputy Majority Leader, Adwoa Safo, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Dome/Kwabenya, said the call by the minority leader was in order because the situation was worrying and if steps were not taken it will degenerate into a very big security problem for the country.
The speaker, after the appeal, called on the Minister of Defence and Minister of Interior to appear before the House to brief members on the situation in Tamale.
OccupyGhana
Meanwhile, pressure group, OccupyGhana, has expressed concern about the criminal assault inflicted on police officers by the soldiers.
“This apparent all-out assault on police officers, some of whom were at post guarding national assets such as the Bank of Ghana and other financial institutions in Tamale, leaves a terrible impression of the Armed Forces.
“We are appalled that any security institution would misuse and abuse the powers bestowed by the Constitution and facilities provided by our taxes in such a depraved manner,” a statement issued by the group said.
According to the group, the impunity has been allowed “because in the face of a history that is replete with such attacks on society by military personnel, there has been precious little to no reports of the actual prosecution, conviction and sentencing of perpetrators. This has emboldened clearly renegade behaviour that must be addressed and curtailed forthwith.”
The group called on the Government of Ghana, Minister of Defence, Minister of National Security and Chief of Defence Staff to immediately cause the arrest of all the perpetrators of this dastardly crime against the Police Officers and surrender them for prosecution before our civil courts to the fullest extent permissible by the laws of Ghana. “This will send a clear signal to others with the same violent propensities that wearing a uniform and bearing arms provided with our tax monies is not an excuse to misbehave and visit violence on the rest of us.
Any attempt to subject this act to some “internal” disciplinary procedure to which we would not be privy would be unacceptable and signify official complicity of what is frankly grave criminality.
“We wish to issue a two-week ultimatum to the government to get to the bottom of this matter and to announce to Ghanaians a clear roadmap that punishes the wrong and does right by the victims. We also expect the institution of measures that would prevent this from happening in future and ensure that the Military never forgets that its true place under a democratic, constitutional dispensation is under civilian governance.”
By Thomas Fosu Jnr