The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior which was tasked to probe the mayhem unleashed on residents of Ashaiman has submitted its report and, among other things, recommended that the military personnel responsible for the May 7, 2023, dawn raid be sanctioned.
The committee, in its report, indicated that the actions of the military contravene Section 32 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).
“The Committee further recommends that the soldiers who indulged in the excesses associated with the operation should be identified and dealt with in accordance with section 32 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105), which stipulates that: “Every person in the Armed Forces, who behaves in a cruel or disgraceful manner shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to any less punishment provided by this Act.”
It also recommended that greater collaboration be encouraged among the various security services and that internal security investigations must be the preserve of the Ghana Police Service.
“The Committee again recommends that the National Security Council ensures that there is collaboration and coordination among the security agencies in the country, particularly between the Armed Forces and the Police Service in the execution of their functions and duties. The Committee entreats the Security Services to follow their respective mandates as provided by law.”
“The Committee emphasized that the involvement of the military in internal security operations must be a last resort, The Police Service must in all instances be the lead agency in internal security operations. The effective coordination of intelligence must be promoted at the National Security Council level to prevent the reoccurrence of such excesses.”
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Meanwhile, Former President John Mahama has called on the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to shed its perceived partisan leanings and consistently advocate for national interest, regardless of the political party in power.
During a meeting with organized labour representatives in Kumasi, Mahama criticized the GBA’s apparent silence on certain critical issues under the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, contrasting it with their vocal stances during past National Democratic Congress (NDC) governments.
He cited specific examples where the GBA’s silence seemed deafening, including alleged human rights violations and questionable government decisions.
This, Mahama argued, undermines the Bar Association’s credibility and raises concerns about its commitment to upholding justice and accountability for all Ghanaians.
“GBA spoke about perception. Well, what’s the reality? Does the GBA go to sleep when the NPP is in power and wake up when the NDC is in power? We will see. In 2025, we will see whether you will wake up. But it’s true. You know yourselves that it is true that when the NPP is in power they do the most outrageous things and you are quiet.
“And yet when NDC is in power the least mistake and GBA has issued a press release. And you know it’s true. So the point is the truth is one and the truth is the same under Rawlings, it is the same under Kufuor, it is the same under Mills, it is the same under John Mahama, it is the same under Akufo-Addo. The truth does not change.
“And so if you are concerned with people’s rights, you are concerned with protecting human rights and freedoms, you must be consistent under any administration not only concerned under some administrations and not under other administration,” he stated.
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