The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has urged Ghanaians to accord security officers the needed respect, to prevent unnecessary confrontations.
His comment comes on the back of the invasion of Ashaiman, by some soldiers after the killing of a young military officer. The soldiers brutalized several residents, in the hope of finding the killers of their colleague.
“I will appeal to the people of Ghana to be respectful of people in uniform, it will help all of us. I will not say anything else until we, the committee members, have gone on Thursday to the place and ascertained things for ourselves.”
Dominic Nitiwul
Speaking to journalists, the Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee, Kennedy Agyepong, said the visit will inform the committee of its next line of action. Meanwhile, a pressure group – Ashaiman Lives Matter, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately set up a committee, to probe brutalities meted out to residents of Ashaiman by some soldiers.
The group made up of former Member of Parliament (MP), Alfred Agbesi and current Member of Parliament for Ashaiman Constituency; Ernest Norgbey, in a statement, condemned the invasion of Ashaiman by some soldiers who brutalized and arrested over 150 people.
The invasion followed the death of a young soldier who was stabbed to death by some unknown assailants in the community.
“We are currently in a constant state of fear for our dear lives, because the soldiers told the residents that it is a Month’s Operation and they have instructions from above to put the fear of God in them, to avenge the murder of the fallen soldier.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, we the people of Ashaiman condemn the beastly acts of the Ghana Armed Forces, and we also call for President of the Republic of Ghana His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo Danquah, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, to do same and render an unqualified apology to the Good People of Ashaiman, for the criminal acts of his troops.”
Ashaiman Lives Matter
Defence and Interior Committee to visit Ashaiman on March 16
The Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, has also revealed that the committee together with the Ministry of Defence and the Military High Command, will pay a visit to the Ashaiman community on Thursday, March 16.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, the Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee, Ken Agyepong, extended the condolence of the Committee to the family of the murdered soldier and also to the innocent people that were caught in the actions of the military.
“We met this afternoon in a closed-door meeting with the Ministry of Defence and the Military High Command, and we have agreed that we will visit Ashaiman on Thursday [March 16], to dialogue with the people as well as the Military High Command and in the meantime, we pleaded with the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman to stay calm, and we sympathize with him and the family of the victim and also to those innocent people that were caught up.
“In a situation like this, all we can say is that we need peace, and we cannot inflame passions by going there to make comments that will annoy factions and so our mission for going there is to make sure that we have peace in this country.”
Dominic Nitiwul
Some military personnel invaded Ashaiman-Taifa and Tulaku on the dawn of March 7, in an attempt to arrest persons suspected of murdering a young military officer, Trooper Imoro Sherrif and ended up brutalizing people in the area and also arrested 184 persons, 150 of whom have been released as of March 9.
READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo’s Claim Of Constructing Most Roads Untrue– Adongo
