The Member of Parliament for the Ashaiman constituency, Eric Henry Norgbey, has expressed satisfaction over the visit by the Defence and Interior Committee to the Ashaiman community to ascertain events, that led to the killing of a young military officer and a subsequent military raid.
The Committee promised to visit the community last week, after some residents were brutalized and arrested in the military’s attempt to arrest persons involved in the murder of 21-year-old, Trooper Imoro Sherrif.
After the Committee’s visit, Mr. Norgbey said the “presence of the Defence Minister and the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, was very helpful in trying to bring closure to this issue.” However, he took some time to once again condemn the military’s actions, which he said could have been prevented, if they had collaborated with the Ghana Police Service to find the killers of the young serviceman.
“It is a fact that there was no collaboration between the military and the police because if there was, what happened would not have happened. But I commend the Ghana Police Service for their swift action in having some suspects picked up, for further investigations into the matter.”
Eric Henry Norgbey
Mr. Norgbey, further called for appropriate punishments to be meted out to those that invaded the community on Tuesday, March 7.
“None of the 184 people who were arrested was found culpable and therefore, there should be some form of punishment for those who went there and assaulted residents and had them arrested for no apparent reason.”
Henry Eric Norgbey
Don’t Seek Revenge, God Defends The Defenseless
The family of slain soldier, Imoro Sherrif, has been urged to remain calm and have faith in the state security system, to bring about justice.
Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul made the appeal, when members of the defence and interior committees of Parliament paid a visit to the deceased’s family at Ashaiman Zongo Laka, to express their condolences.
Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul during the visit, called for calm in the area, while the respective security services do their best to serve justice. He also appealed to the family of the deceased and the community to not seek revenge.
“Don’t take revenge as a family and people of Ashaiman, the gods of Ghana will answer you. I know that it is difficult for all of us, but God has a way of defending the defenceless and Ghana will defend this family and the people of Ashaiman and in doing that, we will do what is right in accordance with the law. We at the Ministry of Defence, are there and will support you.”
Dominic Nitiwul
However, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, issued a stern warning to the public, with regards to the killing of personnel of security agencies. He said the death of the young soldier, Sheriff Imoro, should be the last time a member of any of Ghana’s security agencies will be killed, by the very people they have sworn to defend; thus, the Ghana Armed forces, the Ghana Police Service, The Ghana Immigration Service, Fire Service and the likes of it.
In 2017, an army officer, Major Mahama was allegedly killed by some residents of Denkyira-Obuasi, while he was on morning health walk. The young soldier was allegedly mistaken for an armed robber. And Sherif Imoro’s case is the second incident, where a personnel of the security agency has been killed.
The Committee’s first point of call was the residence of the deceased soldier, where the Defence Minister said the killers will be made to face the full rigours of the law.
“… If it is not the will of God, it will never happen…Those criminals would never have succeeded. God wanted it to happen, that is why He allowed it to. I know that it is difficult for all of us, but God has a way of defending the defenseless and Ghana will defend this family.”
Dominic Nitiwul
According to him, the President is very disturbed about the turn of events at Ashaiman, adding that the development “only tells us that we have a lot to do.”
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