Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim, a former acting chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has expressed disappointment in the work of the committee that investigated the Ejura disturbances.
As part of its recommendations, the 55-page report by the three-member committee said the police commander of Ejura, DSP Philip Kojo Hammond, should be transferred for incompetence and the fact that his relationship with the community had been damaged beyond repair.
Responding to the recommendation on Asaase Radio’s weekend current affairs programme, The Forum, Hajia Ibrahim said the committee should have rather focused on measures that could reconcile the police and the people.
“The committee said they should transfer the police [commander]… what is the police administration’s position when maybe an officer is involved in that kind of case? The committee recommended that they should transfer him but when it came to the military, we are saying the military should take appropriate actions and that is where I am a bit confused,” she said.
She added: “What do we do when there are problems between citizens and the police service? Do you just transfer the person, why don’t you create a mechanism in such a way that, that police commander who doesn’t have a good working relationship with the people, you build the relationship to ensure that they all have confidence in each other. What if you transfer him and same thing happens there too? Reconciling the police with the people would have been the best.”
The committee also recommended the payment of adequate compensation to the families of the two deceased persons – Abdul Nasir Yusif and Murtala Suraj Mohammed.
It said adequate compensation must also be paid to other injured persons -Louis Ayikpa (20 years), Awal Misbau (16 years) and Nasif Nuhu (30 years).
The Ejura unrest
The civil unrest in Ejura erupted when a social activist, Ibrahim Mohammed “Kaaka”, 45, was attacked by unknown people on 27 June.
He died on Monday (28 June) at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, where he was receiving treatment. Security personnel then fired into an angry crowd of young protesters in the town after the funeral of “Kaaka” on 29 June, killing Abdul Nasiw and Muntala Mohammed.
Since the report was made public, many people including the family have accused the committee of not doing a thorough work.
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
