The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, has been summoned by Parliament to brief it on the alleged brutalisation of residents of Garu and Tempane constituencies, in the Upper East Region, by personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
Per the directive issued by the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, at the sitting of Parliament in Accra yesterday, the minister is to appear before the House on Thursday, November 9, 2023.
“Probably, what we are hearing is different from what the minister has as his brief (in relation to what happened). So the minister is hereby invited to come and brief the House and afterwards if there’s the need to refer him to a Committee that could subsequently be set, we do so,” Mr Amoako said.
The Speaker’s directive follows a statement made by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Garu, Albert Akuka Alalzuuga, on the floor of the House asking for a probe into the incident.
But, the Second Deputy Speaker, who is also MP for Fomena, said the parliamentary probe should be deferred to after the minister has briefed the House.
The soldiers were reported to have descended on Garu, Tempane and adjoining communities after some civilians allegedly beat up some national security operatives, who were on duty in the area.
That action by the military, Mr Alalzuuga said was a violation of the constituents’ fundamental human rights and persons behind it must be made to face the law.
“This is an unacceptable violation of our citizens’ rights, and as a matter of urgency, I am strongly calling and demanding for an immediate government intervention to address this issue and also for Parliament to open a probe into this matter, and bring a comprehensive resolution to it.
“I call on the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. The residents of Garu and Tempane deserve safety and protection, and this action by the Military officers must be condemned in the strongest terms without any room for tolerance and reasonableness of any form of brutalities within Garu and Tempane constituencies and indeed, any other constituency,” he stated.
According to Mr Alalzuuga, at the time of his statement, all efforts to get answers regarding the number of residents arrested by the military during this “dastardly” swoop, their whereabouts and the crime for which they have been arrested have yielded no results.
He said the action of the military needed cordiality and cooperation from the people to keep the country safe.
Making reference to recent brutalities visited by personnel of the GAF on civilians in Wa and Ashaiman, the MP said the Garu incident must be the last one.
Members from both sides of the House, who commented on the statement, unanimously condemned the action of the soldiers, and called for calm in the area as parliament takes steps to have clarity on the matter.
They said the soldiers were becoming notorious for visiting violence on citizens and must be tact in executing their intelligence to avoid the excesses that have come to the fore in their operations.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
