News:
July 13, 2020
Deputy Defense Minister (Major Rtd) Derrick Oduro has denied claims by the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu and his colleagues that the military in the Oti and Volta Regions are entering into peoples’ houses and becoming Ghanaian citizen inspectors.
According to him the military has never taken sides in any political endeavor, they did not do that yesterday and would not do that today either.
In an interview in parliament he explained that the soldiers have been at the borders since last year. There was no complain and further pointed out that the North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa demanded that the Interior Minister comes to the House to brief it of steps being taken for terrorist not to attack Ghana as Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali had been attacked. He thus pointed out that the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery did exactly , and indicated to the House that troops had been deployed to the borders and they had been there since last year, “ No one complained, why the complain now?”
He further explained to journalists in Parliament that when the Ghanaian borders were closed, the Ghanaian soldiers went to the borders to assist the Ghana Immigration Officers to ensure that no one with coronavirus enters the country to spread it.
He also emphasised that the Minority is propagating untruth and whatever they claim they can go ahead to do their propaganda, it would not help them.
“The opposition NDC is going round with past military exercise video, if you want to come to the country and you are a Ghanaian go through the proper channels we have embassies in Togo, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. Those who are not Ghanaians and foreigners when we sending them back to their country we take them through the proper channel”
And emphasized that the security agencies at the borders would not allow any one come through unapproved routes and if anyone makes such an attempt the person would be arrested and handed over to the appropriate authority for the appropriate measures to be taken after investigation.
“Are soldiers cooks to be visiting peoples kitchens, they are deployed to the borders and not peoples bedrooms and homes. If there is a video making the round someone can generate this video and circulate”.
Major Rtd Oduro pointed out that with the exercise going on, the military commanders at all levels are also going round to ensure that the soldiers are performing their duties.
Meanwhile in a related development, the Member of Parliament for Ellembele Emmanuel Armah -Kofi Buah said that soldiers were seen in pickups intimidating voters despite the place is not a border town.
The Deputy Minister said it is untrue because only soldier deployed were engaged in “operation calm life” to ensure arm robbers do not have a free day to perpetuate their crime, and all the opposition NDC is doing is to tarnish the image of the Ghana Arm Forces (GAF).
“Let me tell the Minority we have only one Ghana Arm Forces they should stop tarnishing their reputation today they are in opposition tomorrow they would be in power”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com.