Ghanaians demand action in violence – Sam George in Bagbin

General news for Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Source: FM class

02/02/2020

Ningo Prampram lawmaker Samuel Nartey George said in a statement to parliament on Tuesday, February 2, that Ghanaians demand action against the perpetrators of the violence in Ayawaso West Wuogon’s by-election in January. 31, 2019.

Although a commission of inquiry has been set up by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to look into the matter, Sam George, who was assaulted in the by-ballots, is not satisfied with the white paper of the government published on the findings of the Commission. , his call for further action to be taken on this matter.

He said, “Our constituents deserve better. The citizens of the Republic demand action. We owe it to ourselves, as representatives of the people and a true bastion of democracy, to hold state security agents accountable for their breaches of the law. We cannot fail. We must demand that justice be done to the eight citizens that the government has committed to compensate.

“The principles of democracy must be protected. The rule of law, accountability and the protection of the human rights of citizens are essential in this democratic regime and nothing and no one should be allowed to undermine it.
“These citizens are Mr. Theophilus Sedofu, Mr. Seidu Zaneh, Mr. James Moore, Mr. Mohammed Alhassan, Mr. Ishawu Yaro, the owner of the vehicle with registration number GE 3844-17, the owner of Kia Picanto with registration number GW 1045 -17 and Mrs. Justine She, owner of a beauty salon.

“We represent the last ray of hope for those citizens who elected us here. Please use your good offices to call on all relevant public institutions responsible for paying compensation to affected citizens to act quickly to resolve this issue. “

Here is his full statement.

DECLARATION BY THE HON. SAMUEL NARTEY GEORGE (MP) ON THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE BY-ELECTION OF WEST AYAWASO WUOGON AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EMILE COURT COMMISSION.

Right Honorable President,

Last Sunday, January 31, 2021, marked the second anniversary of the by-elections held in Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency. The incidents of the day are common knowledge and have left an indelible scar on our nation’s 4th Republican Democracy. A number of atrocious incidents that sought to taint democracy in Ghana and call into question our faith in our security services have taken place under the spotlight of the media.

Public outcry and international condemnation led to the establishment of a commission of inquiry by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo in accordance with article 278 of the Constitution to investigate the unfortunate events that undermined the electoral process on that fateful day.

Mr. President, the Commission chaired by Judge Emile F. Bourt on March 14, 2019 submitted its report to the Presidency and made recommendations for additional investigations, compensation, structural changes in the country’s security architecture, between other recommendations. The government, in its white paper, shockingly disagreed with much of the Commission’s recommendations and even asked whether prominent judge Emile Short (former CHRAJ chief), Professor Henrietta Mensa Bonsu (now judge Supreme Court and Criminal Law Leader) and Mr. Patrick Acheampong (former Inspector General of Police) understand the mandate and scope of their work. The government, however, agreed to pay compensation to certain identified individuals who had suffered brutality from state agents.

It is heartbreaking, Mr. President, that I rise to speak in the Senate two years later and report that none of these people have received any compensation or support from the state. I am heartbroken because I myself have been the victim of the recklessness that characterized the actions of state agents that day. I saw with my own eyes the brutality inflicted on some of these innocent citizens of our Republic. Eighteen of them lodged a complaint with the police following the violence. The heartbreaking situation of Mr. Ishawu Yaro, a promising footballer who was the breadwinner of his family, who was repeatedly hit in the leg and was paralyzed even after three surgeries should not be our record as that nation. Despite the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the compensation of eight of sixteen and the acceptance of it in the white paper, these eight innocent citizens have been ignored by the state.

A group of wives whose spouses were abused in the by-elections petitioned the government through the Gender Ministry to take action to obtain compensation. There was absolutely no response. Mr. Speaker, accompanied by more than eighty MPs and my lawyers, I personally submitted a petition to the then Inspector General of Police, Mr. David Asante-Apeatu, and to the Deputy Director General of the ‘time of criminal investigations, ACP Mr. George Tweneboah and identified some of my attackers. It has been almost two years and the police have not responded to my request as my attacker walks freely. It is this inertia in the administration of justice that leads many to question whether justice would actually be served in this unfortunate case.

Rt. Honorable Speaker, our constituents deserve better. The citizens of the Republic demand action. We owe it to ourselves, as representatives of the people and a true bastion of democracy, to hold state security agents accountable for their breaches of the law. We cannot fail. We must demand that justice be done to the eight citizens that the government has committed to compensate. The principles of democracy must be protected. The rule of law, accountability and the protection of the human rights of citizens are essential in this democratic regime and nothing and no one should be allowed to undermine it.

These citizens are Mr. Theophilus Sedofu, Mr. Seidu Zaneh, Mr. James Moore, Mr. Mohammed Alhassan, Mr. Ishawu Yaro, the owner of the vehicle with registration number GE 3844-17, owner of Kia Picanto with number of registration GW 1045-17 and Mrs. Justine She, owner of a beauty salon. We are the last ray of hope for those citizens who elected us here. Please use your good offices to ask all relevant state institutions responsible for paying compensation to affected citizens to act swiftly to resolve this matter.

Right Honorable President, thank you for giving me the opportunity to make this statement in order to draw national attention to the plight of our constituents.

SAMUEL NARTEY GEORGE, MP

Ningo-pram