The Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, has been summoned by Parliament over the recent military brutality in Garu, Upper East Region, Ghana.
The Minister is to appear on Thursday, November 9, 2023 to brief the House on the Garu incident, including the casualties and those who gave the order.
The directive was given by the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, following a statement from the Member of Parliament for Garu and subsequent comments from members on both sides.
“So, I am directing that the Minister [for National Security] appear before the House on Thursday, November 9, 2023, to brief the House concerning issues relating to the incident at Garu and Tempane,” the Speaker directed.
STATEMENT
The Member of Parliament for Garu Constituency, Albert Akuka Alazuuga, made a statement on the military brutalities against some people in his constituency.
He said he was concerned “about how the military officers brutalised and maimed my residents,” adding that “the incident by the military add to the long list of barbaric and inhumane actions carried out by our men in uniform on innocent civilians, whom they ought to be protecting as a matter of responsibility.”
He said some people were taken away by the military and his efforts to get them back proved futile, arguing that it was against their human rights.
COMMENTS
Members of Parliament took turns to comment on the statement, with some calling for a full parliamentary probe.
A member of the Interior and Defense Committee, Cletus Avoka, gave a report of what transpired.
According to him, the youth of Garu acted upon government’s ‘see something, say something’ campaign and thus engaged the people in the vehicle they had seen in the community to know their identity.
He said the occupants said they were operatives of the National Security, but being unsure, the youth demanded that they be taken to the police, where some ammunition were found in the vehicle.
He stated that the account of the Ministry of National Security about the incident was “inconsistent with the facts on the ground.”
Mahama Ayariga corroborated the account of Hon Avoka, but added that somebody who was not part of the youth that had gone to the police station with the strange vehicle, and “fired a shot” into the vehicle from afar.
He said that when he was made aware of the situation, he contacted the National Security Minister, who confirmed that indeed some operatives had been assigned on a special assignment in Garu.
However, after the soldiers invaded Garu, he called the minister again, “but he appeared unaware and said he would check.”
He added that later after the call, the soldiers retreated, but the question he asked on the floor was who ordered the soldiers to go to Garu.
He called for a full parliamentary probe, a plea that was supported by the Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim.
The members of parliament for Pusiga and Builsa North, Laadi Ayii Ayamba and James Aglaga, respectively made comments and condemned the military brutality.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Tema West, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah shared in the sentiments of the maker of the statement.
However, he made the point that “it is important that no matter where you find yourself, you give respect to security.”
The deputy majority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, argued that though he did not accept the action of the military, the youth should also be educated not to attack the security of the state.
He then called on the Speaker to direct the Minister for National Security to brief the House about the incident.
RETRIEVE WEAPON
According to the Ministry of National Security, the invasion by the soldiers was to retrieve weapons used by the irate youth.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of National Security, a team of five counter-terrorism intelligence officers deployed to Garu for a critical and special operation were attacked on Tuesday, October 24.
According to National Security, the youth, armed with guns and weapons, fired multiple gunshots at its officers in a Toyota Land Cruiser despite their initial attempt to introduce themselves.
“Following an escalation of the attacks on their vehicle, the officers drove to seek refuge at the Garu Police Station. The irate youth subsequently pursued the officers, encircled the police station and fired multiple shots at the same time with the intention of killing the officers.
“The timely intervention of the Ghana Armed Forces enabled the safe evacuation of the National Security personnel from the Garu Police Station,” parts of the statement read.
Following the attack, a joint operation was conducted on Sunday in Garu to seize weapons used by the perpetrators of the attack on the National Security personnel and arrest some perpetrators, the Ministry noted.
