The Minister for the Interior, Mr. Ambrose Dery (MP), on Friday, June 22, 2018 inaugurated a Joint Committee to investigate the clashes between some officers of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces in Tamale on May 16, 2018.
The Nine – Member Committee which is chaired by Ms. Victoria Aseiduwaa, a Senor State Attorney, with the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General’s Department, is also expected to investigate similar clashes within the past five (5) years, enumerate actions taken and lessons learnt.
Additionally, the Committee is to identify the effects of such clashes on Police/Military relationship and its effect on the communities.
Inaugurating the Committee, Mr. Ambrose Dery, indicated that Ghana is a multi-party democracy built on the Rule of Law and respect of the fundamental human rights of each person and so it was indeed regrettable when the news broke out about the clashes between some police and military officers.
He stated it is our individual responsibility to operate within the confines of the law and not to take the laws into our own hands.
“The responsibility to act within the law cannot be compromised. As men of the Security Agencies, we are expected to know and appreciate the law. We are to be each other’s keeper but not to fight against each other” he stressed.
Mr. Dery noted it was in the spirit of this camaraderie that, the Ministries of the Interior and Defense have set up the Joint Committee to unravel the causes of the clashes between the men of the two services and come out with guidelines and protocols to ensure a collaborative spirit between the two sister Agencies.
The Minister, who expressed his confidence in the composition of the Committee, charged it to discharge its duties without fear or favour.
He, and on behalf of the Minister for Defense, accordingly pledged their Ministries full support to the Committee to enable it discharge on its responsibilities.
The setting up of the Committee is in fulfillment of a statement made on the Floor of Parliament by the Ministers of the Interior and Defense when they appeared before Parliament to brief the members on the unfortunate incident.
The Committee’s Terms of Reference includes; 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 Service.
It is to make recommendations for sanctions against those found culpable and appropriate compensation to deserving victims of the clashes in addition to making appropriate recommendations on any other related matters.
The Committee is expected to submit its report by 31st August, 2018.
Other Members of the Committee are Air Commander Augustine A. Appiah, Col. Isaac Amponsah and CWO Barker Ramous, all of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The rest are DCOP D. Akrofi Asiedu (Rtd) of the National Association of Retired Police Officers, Supt. Firmin Azitariga from the Ghana Police Service, Chief Supt. Benjamin Osei Addae from the Ghana Police Service, Brig. Gen. Kwame Oppong-Kyekyeku (Rtd) from the Retired Commissioned Officers Association and a representative from the Ghana Police Service.
Accra│22nd June, 2018
