The police and military high commands have pledged to promptly deal with acts of indiscipline among their ranks and files.
Both commands have also promised to constantly remind their officers that they are not above the law and as such must at all times respect the rule of law.
This was contained in a joint statement issued by the police and military high commands following the Tuesday, May 16, 2018 clashes between police personnel and some soldiers in Tamale.
According to the statement, “The police and military high commands have taken serious exception/view to yesterday’s clash between police and military officers at Tamale and condemn it in no uncertain terms.”
It said, “Both commands met at the Ministry of the Interior yesterday, 16th May, 2018 and agreed as follows among others: to set up a committees of police and military membership at all regions where there is military base, for the purposes of overseeing to the peaceful co-existence of both services.”
It added that the commands also agreed “to deal promptly with acts of indiscipline among their ranks and file and constantly remind Officers that they are not above the law, must respect the rule of law and to follow their respective chain of command procedures for addressing breaches of law and acts of indiscipline; to continue to collaborate in investigating the clash and similar existing cases and officers found culpable to be sanctioned in accordance with law.”
The statement continued that a team of senior police and military officers from Accra have been dispatched to Tamale, where they joined the Northern Regional Security Council to hold a durbar with the military and the police in order to bring lasting solution to the cause of the clashes in the region in particular.
Prior to the clash of Tuesday, May 16, the police and military high commands had met on Tuesday, April 24 to identify causes of clashes between military and police officers and had come out with agreed strategies to address such occurrences which implementation is underway.
“It is, therefore, regrettable the clash between police and military officers on Tuesday. The media and the general public are assured that steps are being taken to address these regrettable incidents to the later and therefore urge circumspection from all sides,” it stated.
BY Melvin Tarlue