The Minister of Interior has apologized to Ghanaians for the infamous clashes between the Military and the Police which reached escalating point in Tamale last week.

Briefing Parliament in honor of the invitation of the two Ministers by the Speaker on matters relating to the incidence, the Interior Minister who spoke on behalf of the joint security team indicated that, the clash that occurred between the Police and the Military on May 16, 2018, as well as others that has occurred this year and the previous years are regrettable.

He indicated that, leadership of security services attached all the urgency and seriousness to it, immediately summoning meetings between the two security institutions, which meetings resulted in the dispatch of high powered security delegation to the affected area and subsequently held meetings and durbars with the rank and file of the two institutions in Tamale on May 17, 2018.

He disclosed that it was generally agreed, as part of measures of permanently dealing with the issue that existing guidelines regarding the handling of personnel on disciplinary issues and breaches of the law would be fully implemented to forestall future occurrence.

He also indicated that, preliminary investigation conducted result in the setting up of a five (5) member committee, involving two members each from the Police and the Military, and the last member being from the Attorney General’s Department to conduct detailed investigations into the incidence and make recommendations accordingly beyond existing guidelines and protocols.

Furtherance to this, he assured the House that anyone found culpable would face the full rigors of the law.

He further revealed that following the initial investigations, the leadership of the two institutions agreed that there would be periodic joint durbars and other activities to enhance interactions and cooperation among the two institutions, adding that full operational cooperation and collaboration has been fully restored in Tamale, and the entire Northern Regions as pertains in other parts of the country and that the public is assured of their full security.

 

MINORITY LEADER’S INTERVENTION
The Minority Leader of the House, who is also the Member for Tamale South where the incidence occurred, on his part was thankful to the House, especially the Speaker for ensuring that the oversight role of Parliament has been fully exercised, and that, signal has been sent to the security heads that Ghana is a country of rule of law, where everyone is subject to the laws of the land.

He said his ground checks confirm that, Air Commander A. A. Appiah, Colonel Frank Tay, Colonel Ike Amponsah, C. O. P. Abblor and C. O. P. Kofi Boakye, were in the region to engage the Regional Security Council and thereafter, engaged the rank and file through joint durbars of the Military and the Police to assure the people of Tamale that they were up to the task.

He also confirmed that, indeed there is a close cooperation and collaboration between the two security institutions and they are working together on the ground.

Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Adwoa Safo on her part encouraged that, everyone who matters in the case should be a matter of investigation, and called on Ghanaians to have confidence in the security services as leadership work to ensure that there is no recurrence of the incidence.

 

SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT’S RULING
The Speaker of the House also indicated that Parliament is the House of the People and when Parliament sits, the whole nation has sat, adding that every person, body or authority is subject to the oversight authority of the House.

He further stated that the House and for that matter, Ghanaians are assured of their security, law and order, and expressed trust that very soon the assurance of investigation and punishment where culpability is established, would be duly reported to the House, and for that matter the people of Ghana.

 

Exclusively Newslinegh