By Iddi Yire/Desmond O. Nyarko, GNA
Accra, Mar 11, GNA – Mr Ambrose Dery, Interior Minister and Mr Dominic Nitiwul, Defence Minister have said that government will fully implement the recommendations of the Joint Police/Military Committee, which investigated clashes between the Police and the Military.
The duo, gave the assurance on Monday, when they jointly received copies of the report from Madam Victoria Aseiduwaa, a Senior State Attorney and the Chairperson of the Committee that investigated the clashes between some officers of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces (GFA) in Tamale on May 16, 2018.
The Ministers again, gave the assurance that the content of the 70-page report would be made public after it had been forwarded to the President.
Among the high-profile personalities, who were present at the ceremony were Mr Henry Quartey, Deputy Interior Minister; Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa, the Chief of Defence Staff and Mr David Asante-Apeatu, the Inspector General of Police.
It would be recalled that in the afternoon of 16th May 2018, after mounting tension and incidents between some personnel of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed forces in Tamale, gunfire erupted in and around the Rapid Deployment Forces Offices, which was extended to the Tamale township.
Consequently, both servicemen and civilians sustained varying degrees of injuries, which caught the public attention.
The Government promptly intervened and demonstrated its commitment to nib such occurrences in the bud by setting up the Committee.
The Committee was to investigate similar clashes within the past five years, enumerate actions taken and lessons learnt.
Additionally, the Committee, was to identify the effects of such clashes on Police/Military relationship and its effects on the communities.
The Committee’s terms of reference include: make appropriate recommendations for Police/Military collaboration/cooperation to avert such clashes in future as well as recommendations to improve Police/Military relationship and enhance “camaraderie” spirit between the two services.
It was also to make recommendations for sanctions against those found culpable and appropriate compensation to deserving victims of the clashes.
Mr Dery commended members of the Committee for the good work done, adding that, the “Ghana beyond Aid” agenda of the Government could only be achieved when there was peace and security.
He said the Government would implement the recommendations of the Committee, to promote good collaborations between the police and the military for good of the nation.
On his part, Mr Nitiwul said the Government and the people of Ghana were concerned about the clashes, which sometimes broke out between the police and the military, stating that the Government would not allow the recommendations of the Committee to gather dust.
He said Ghana like any other West African country, faced some security challenges, hence, there was the need for effective collaborations between the police and the military to maintain peace and security of the nation.
Madam Asieduwaa said by the inquiry, it came to light that prior to 16th May, 2018, two previous unresolved incidents, which had heightened tension between the two services, occasioned a reprisal attack on the 16th of May 2018.
“Indeed, such clashes have become a worrying in view of its spate among the institutions, whose constitutional mandate, ironically, is to keep the peace,” Madam Asieduwaa said.
She said the effects of such clashes on both institutions, the citizenry and the nation at large were enormous.
She said the Committee had proffered a variable solution, which if duly implemented would go a long way to address the situation.
The Committee, which was inaugurated on June 22, 2018, had the following members Air Commander Augustine A. Appiah, Colonel Isaac Amponsah and Chief Warrant Officer Barker Ramous, all of the GFA.
The rest were Deputy Commissioner of Police D. Akrofi Asiedu (Rtd) of a National Association of Retired Police Officers, Superintendent Firmin Azitariga from the Ghana Police Service, Chief Supt. Benjamin Osei Addae from the Ghana Police Service, Brigadier General Kwame Oppong-Kyekyeku (Rtd) from the Retired Commissioned Officers Association and a representative from the Ghana Police Service.
GNA
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