-In Belated statement
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) in a rather belated response has expressed concern about acts of violence carried out by security agencies in the country, condemning the perpetrators.
The GBA had been suspiciously quiet amidst all the murderous rampage of men of the Ghanaian security services believed to be thugs planted by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Insiders say it took angry prompting by some young lawyers in the GBA to jerk the hierarchy of the national lawyer association into action.
In a statement issued on Thursday, July 8, and signed by its National President, Anthony Forson Jnr. and National Secretary, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, the bar catalogued a number of incidences, saying the developments give it trepidation.
GBA expressed hope that ongoing investigations “will be thorough, swift and fair and those found culpable will be duly punished.”
The statement said “Under no circumstances should operatives of the Security Agencies under the pretext of maintaining peace, manhandle and assault people or use physical force which sometimes results in the death of the victims. The rule of law must prevail at all times in our dear country.”
The statement catalogued some of the instances including the violence unleashed by security operatives in the Techiman South Constituency during the 2020 elections, which resulted in the death of two people while several others sustained injuries; the use of firearms in the Ablekuma Central Constituency by rogue National Security operative and an unidentified soldier resulting in death and physical injuries in the course of the 2020 elections.
The GBA also cited the predicament of Caleb Kudah, the journalist from CITI FM/ CITI TV who was brutalised and tortured by personnel of the Ministry of National Security on 11th May 2021 for doing a reportage that exposes rot in some government agencies.
The GBA in its belated statement also cited the recent killing of two persons and injuries suffered by others following the reported shooting of residents of Ejura by soldiers sent to calm their protest on June 29, 2021. They also cited the incident where armed military personnel molested and brutalised residents on the streets of Wa on July 1, 2021.
“In the instances stated above, the conduct of the personnel of the Security Agencies was cruel and unacceptable. Security Agencies must be professional in the discharge of their duties. Under no circumstances should they have subjected people to such brutalities. Their actions culminated in the loss of lives and also caused injuries to others and we hereby condemn unreservedly these unfortunate events,” the GBA wrote.