3-Member committee to investigate Ejura disturbances

A three-member Ministerial Committee to conduct a public inquiry into last Tuesday’s disturbances at Ejura that led to the death of two persons, following a clash between the youth and security personnel, has been constituted by the Minister for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery.

The committee, which is chaired by a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice George Kingsley Koomson, has 10 days within which to present its report.

Other members of the committee are Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, a Security Expert, and Ms Juliet Amoah, the Executive Director of Penplusbytes, a not-for-profit organisation into good governance and the promotion of new media.

A Principal State Attorney, Ms Marie-Louise Simmons, is the Secretary.

Mandate

Mr Dery announced the committee at Ejura during a courtesy call on the Ejuramanhene, Barima Osei Hwedie II, to commiserate with him on the death of three of his subjects within the week.

The minister said the committee was to investigate the incident and make recommendations to forestall a recurrence in Ejura or elsewhere in the country. 

He said the committee was made up of trusted people and expressed the belief that they would be able to make appropriate recommendations, after a thorough investigation of last Tuesday’s unfortunate incident.

“This committee, I believe, is a committee of prominent personalities of this country, trusted; I believe that within the 10 days given, ending July 9, 2021, the unfortunate circumstances will be investigated and appropriate recommendations made,” he said.

According to him, the committee was to help Ghana move forward and avoid the recurrence of the unfortunate incident at Ejura or elsewhere in the country.

“We expect that its recommendations will help us do that, and we hope the Ghanaian public and residents of the area will help in that direction,” he said.

Assurance

The Minister of the Interior assured the Ejuramanhene of the government’s commitment to ensure peace and security in the country to ensure the safety of Ghanaians.

He reiterated the fact that the June 29 incident would be investigated and recommendations made, saying: “We want to reiterate the point that all the fundamental human rights stated in Chapter Five of our Constitution will be implemented, including the right to demonstrate.”

According to him, the right to demonstrate was respected by the government, adding that “the only thing we expect is that when people want to demonstrate, they will give notice”.

“They are not asking for permission; they give notice to the police because the government has a duty to protect all demonstrators during demonstrations to make sure that no harm comes to them. It is the duty of the government,” he stated.

The visit 

Mr Dery said following last Tuesday’s incident, there was the need for him to visit the area to acquaint himself with the facts and also commiserate with the bereaved families.

The minister, who was accompanied by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, and the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Ken Yeboah, later visited the families of the bereaved to commiserate with them.

The team also presented a token to the families on behalf of the government.

Ejuramanhene

Barima Hwedie expressed the hope that the committee would unravel the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident that took the lives of two young men and propose solutions that would forestall a future recurrence.

He urged the government to find a lasting solution to the election violence that usually occurred in the area.

Barima Hwedie said the traditional council had offered land for the construction of a divisional police headquarters in the area as part of measures to increase security within the traditional area.

Background

On Saturday, June 26, 2021, social media activist, Macho Kaaka, was attacked by some unknown assailants in front of his house around 1:30 a.m. and left in a critical condition.

He was rushed to the Ejura Government Hospital, from where he was referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital around midday last Monday, June 28, 2021 but died on admission.

When news about his death broke, the youth of Ejura decided to go to a demonstration that Monday, but that was quelled by the police, with assistance from the military.

However, last Tuesday, on their return from the cemetery after burying Kaaka, the youth decided to demonstrate.

In the process, they clashed with the security, leading to the death of Abdul Nasir Yussif and Muntala Mohammed.