News:
November 2, 2023
Mr Albert Alalzuuga Akuka, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Garu, has appealed to Parliament to investigate the alleged military brutalities meted out to the constituents of Garu and Tempane on Sunday, October 29.
In a statement on the floor of the House, Mr Akuka said the recent military brutalities allegedly meted out to some innocent residents of Garu town and Bugre in the Garu and Tempane Constituencies respectively in the wee hours of Sunday, 29th October 2023.
“Mr Speaker, I am deeply concerned about how the military officers reportedly brutalised and maimed our residents,” he said. “It is important to mention that this incident by the Military ads to a long list of barbaric and inhumane action carried out by our men in uniform on innocent civilians whom they ought to be protecting as a matter of responsibility.”
He said reports by residents during his checks with them to ascertain what really happened on the grounds suggest allegedly that their monies and other valuable items were taken away by the officers in the swoop.
Mr Akuka said as the MP for Garu, all his efforts to get answers regarding the number of residents picked up by the Military Officers during the alleged swoop, their whereabouts, and the crime for which they were picked up had yielded no results two days after the alleged brutalities were visited on upon them.
“This is an unacceptable violation of our citizens’ rights, and as a matter of urgency, I am strongly calling and demanding for an immediate government intervention to address this issue and also for Parliament to open a probe into this matter, and bring a comprehensive resolution to it,” he said.
“I call on the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure that those responsible are held accountable”. Mr Akuka said the residents of Garu and Tempane deserve safety and protection, and this alleged action by the Military officers must be condemned in the strongest terms without any room for tolerance and reasonableness of any form of brutalities within Garu and Tempane constituencies and indeed, any other constituency.
He said the House had an opportunity to investigate and make recommendations when similar Military brutalities were visited on the people of Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the MP for Efutu and Deputy Majority Leader, in his contributions urged the Speaker to invite the Minister for National Security to brief the Defence and Interior Committee of the House on the situation.
However, Mr Andrew Asiamah Amoako, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, in his ruling directed that the Minister for National Security appears before the House on Thursday, November 9, to brief it concerning the incidents that occurred at Garu and Tempane. He said after the Minister’s briefing, if there was still the need for the setting up of a committee to investigate the matter, the House would do so.
Iddi Yire/Elsie Appiah-Osei/Ghanamps.com