Speaker Summons Defence, Interior Ministers Over Tamale Clashes

The Ministers for Defence and Interior have been summoned to Parliament over the clash between some military officers and police personnel in Tamale, last Wednesday.

Come March 21, 2018, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul and Mr. Ambruce Dery are expected to brief the house on the circumstances surrounding the issue and how their ministries would address the subject in order to prevent further occurrence.

This order comes after Minority Leader, Mr. Haruna Iddrissu had expressed worry over the growing sense of insecurity in the country.

He said, “I do want to indulge you, Mr. Speaker, that there is some ongoing insecurity in Tamale and for that matter in Ghana arising from the insistent, violent attacks between members of the military, the armed forces and the Ghana Police Service. Security remains a primary and secondary need for the peace and stability of the country. We have concerns about those reprisals.”

Mr. Iddrisu therefore prayed the two ministries to “assure the public that we are safe and secured; and in particular, the people of Ghana have no reason to want to live in fear and panic, and that a breakdown of law and order can be a recipe for lawlessness.”

The Tamale Member of Parliament further indicated that, this occurrence if not addressed, could lead to the erosion of public confidence in our security agencies.

Meanwhile, Deputy Majority Leader, Madam Adwoa Sarfo has supported the call adding that every Ghanaian citizen deserves the right to life.

She said, “When the police and the military exchange fire, it is very worrying…if the personnel that we have entrusted to them to ensure law and order are rather at loggerheads, it is a great disappointment to the people of Ghana.”

Background

It has been widely reported that some soldiers had descended on police officers in Tamale after one of their own was allegedly beaten.

The armed soldiers, who were on board three branded military vehicles, according to eyewitnesses, stormed the Northern Regional Police Headquarters and the Tamale Metro Police Command, both situated on the same compound, and fired warning shots―prompting the police to return fire.

The soldiers were alleged to have attacked the Northern Regional Police Commander’s bungalow and assaulted the policeman on duty, seizing the riffle of one of the police personnel there.

In March this year, there was a similar clash between the two security teams and in all, about eight policemen sustained various degrees of injuries.

By: Frederick E. Aggrey