The National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah has condemned military brutalities on residents in Garu and Tempane in the Upper East Region.
Addressing Parliament on Monday, November 13 2023 on the unfortunate event, the National Security Minster indicated that the military officers who meted the brutalities against the residents of Garu and Tempane have been arraigned before court.
The National Security Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah also expressed deep concern about the conduct of some residents in Garu and Tempane who attacked some national security officers.
According to him, the conduct of some residents in Garu and Tempane undermines the peace and national cohesion of the state.
“The house will agree that the attack on the national security personnel and also the Garu Police Station was reprehensible and must be condemned in no uncertain terms. In many other jurisdictions such attacks on security personnel in the course of their legitimate duties will be classified as an attack on the state”.
Albert Kan-Dapaah, National Security Minister
Again, Mr. Kan Dapaah recounted that the Ministry of National Security together with the Ghana Armed Forces have embarked on a joint operation in Garu to seize weapons that were used by the irate youth groups to attack the National Security personnel on Saturday, October 28, 2023.
National Security Minister Declines To Give Further Details On Garu Brutalities
Furthermore, the National Security Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah declined to give further details on the military brutalities in Garu and Tempane to Parliament because the matter is before the court.
According to Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, once the matter is before a competent court of adjudicator it would be inappropriate on his part to discuss the matter since that could amount to contempt of the court.
Moreover, Mr Kan-Dapaah urged Members of Parliament to exercise restraint and decorum in their public commentary on the matter due to its national security implications.
According to the Minister, due to the dire security situation that the country is confronted with in Bawku as a result of the existing ethnic conflict in the area, Members of Parliament must embrace his recommendation.
Again, the National Security Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah noted that the ‘counter-terrorism operations’ that the state is pursuing within Garu, Tempane and another part of the Northern Regions required Members of Parliament to exercise some level of restraint in their public commentary on the matter.
Finally, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah indicated that his call for the need for Members of Parliament to exercise restraint in their public pronouncement on the matter is mainly also because of the need for the state not to ‘demotivate’ or ‘demoralize’ its security personnel.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Garu in the Upper East Region, Albert Alalzuuga has alleged that the autopsy report he is available to indicate that one of the people who died resulting from the military brutalities suffered a ‘skull fracture and broken ribs’.
Reacting to the statement of the National Security Minster on the matter, the Garu lawmaker expressed deep worry about the conduct of the military personnel in Garu and Tempane as according to him the brutalities by the military personnel has caused severe physical and health damage to some residents.
“We are very unhappy and very frustrated with the way they behaved in Garu. Several people have broken arms and broken legs. Honourable Minister, if this is how the military retrieves arms, we would want to know how many arms were retrieved from Garu. To say this is the military’s style of retrieving arms which we witnessed in Garu is most unfortunate. That, in retrieving arms, you beat and kill, maim people… If you are retrieving arms, you need information”.
Albert Alalzuuga
However, the Member of Parliament for Tempane, Lydia Akanvariba urged the National Security Minister and government to undertake measures or plans to compensate residents who were subjected to the severe military brutalities in Garu and Tempane in the Upper East Region.
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