Minority calls for Presidential Commission into Anlo clashes

The Minority Caucus in Parliament led by their Leader, Alban Sumanu Bagbin are calling on government and the Minister of Interior to as a matter of urgency set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the recent conflicts in Anloga in the Keta District that claimed the lives of four persons including a police officer.

According to them, the police will not be in a position to investigate the matter impartially because one of their colleagues has been allegedly murdered by some youth in the town.

Speaking at the floor of the House yesterday after the Interior Minister gave a briefing on the current situation in Anloga and the government’s interventions so far, Mr Bagbin called for a motion by the House to compel government to set up the commission. In addition, members of the committee should be determined by the House.

“I want this House which is a true representation of all Ghanaians to be the one to decide because once it is left for the ministry alone, it could be seen as one sided,” he said, adding, “If it possible for the police to be excluded from the membership of investigators, it should be done, not because they are incompetent but because, they have lost a colleague and are bound to be partial.”

The military have however conducted themselves in a very professional manner and should therefore be allowed to stay on till the area returns to normalcy, according to the Minority Leader.

He said, if the security agencies had acted when they got wind of developments in the area, the situation could have been contained. He was especially disturbed by the imposition of a curfew in the area. “I will prefer that a curfew is imposed any time signals are received than wait for an explosion before it is given,” he said.

The Minority have also called for the removal of the Deputy Volta Regional Commander because in their opinion, he has proven to be very biased in his handling of the situation.

Contributing, the Clement Kofi Humedo (NDC, Anlo), recommended that the people who begun the process of installing the Awomefia should be charged with deceit of public office because they took permission from the Police to celebrate a festival and not to confine and install a chief and also called for the exclusion of the police from the investigation process.

He further called on the Minister to properly define the areas affected by the curfew to ensure that those in the area will know whether they are affected or not. In addition, they should be properly educated on the modalities of the curfew because events on the ground show there is a lack of knowledge on the issue.

Mr Humedo also appealed to the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs to adequately resource the Regional and National House of Chiefs with the necessary logistics and personnel to enable them handle the numerous cases before them.

Source: Statesman