President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has ordered the immediate interdiction of Gerard Nana Osei Tutu of the Bureau of National Communications at the National Security Council, who reportedly attacked a uniformed military officer in Tema, a story which was broken by The Chronicle on Monday, this week.
A statement issued from the Ministry of Information, and signed by sector the Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, dated December 1, 2020, said the President of the Republic and Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has learnt with dismay reports of an attack on a soldier by an official of the Bureau of National Communications of the National Security Council, Gerard Nana Osei Tutu.
The statement went on that upon the President’s instruction, the Ministry of National Security has interdicted, with immediate effect, the said Mr Gerard Nana Osei Tutu, and commenced full investigations into the incident.
The statement concluded by saying that the military constitutes a key layer in the country’s security architecture, and any infringement on the institution and its officers would not be tolerated.
On Wednesday 25, 2020, at about 0830hrs, the official at the National Security Council, Gerard Nana Osei Tutu, in charge of a convoy of armed personnel from the council, was moving on the Tema-Akosombo highway at top speed amid the blowing of sirens.
Upon arrival at the Ashaiman Tulaku section of the road, the convoy was forcing its way through the single lane of jammed traffic.
Ahead of them was a salon car being driven by the military man, Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Mashud Salia, and even though he tried to give way to the convoy, the narrowness of that portion of the road, coupled with a deep gutter, did not make it possible.
The lead vehicle of the convoy suddenly obstructed him and occupants of the other cars, AS 7249-18, VR 5571-19, BA 2871-17 and GS 7372-20, some in arms, pounced on the
WO in uniform, allegedly handed him some slaps, pulled him from behind the steering wheel, and handcuffed.
As the crowd inquiringly closed in, they forced the humiliated Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (SNCO) into one of their vehicles, and drove his vehicle along to the Michel Camp Barracks of the First Battalion of Infantry (1BN) and handed him to the authorities.
As tension was getting to its peak the Military High Command convened an emergency durbar to address the issue at stake.
The Director, Directorate of Public Relations (DPR), Col Eric Aggrey-Quashie, on Monday November 30, 2020, issued a press statement on the outcome of the durbar, which urged the soldiers to go about their professional duties as the case was being investigated, and that those found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
It states that the attention of the Military High Command had been drawn to an unfortunate incident, which occurred on Wednesday 25, 2020 around Tulaku Junction on the Ashaiman-Tema highway, in which a Warrant Officer 1, Mashud Salia, was assaulted by some plain clothed personnel of the National Signal Bureau. This bizarre incident had been roundly condemned by both the Ministry of Defence and the Military High Command.
The sector Ministry of National Security has also, in similar vein, condemned the actions of the personnel involved.
As a first step towards redressing the problem, the Deputy National Security Minister, Henry Quartey, and the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lt-Gen O.B. Akwa, have, at an emergency durbar, conveyed the sentiments of the two ministries and rendered an unqualified apology to the Warrant Officer, and by extension to the Ghana Armed Forces.
This durbar, which was held at Michel Camp on Saturday 28, 2020, had troops of 1BN in attendance.
Also present were the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major-General Oppong-Peprah, Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters, Rear Admiral I.A. Yakubu, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Commodore Emmanuel A Kwafo, Director General, Personnel Administration (PA), Air Commodore M. Appiah-Agyekum, Director of National Signal Bureau, Mr Kwabena Adu-Boahene, and the Forces Sergeant Major (FSM), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Barkar Ramous.
The post Akufo-Addo Strikes @ National Security appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS