The Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, should resign or be dismissed over the reported shooting and killing of some Ghanaians by armed security personnel during incidence of violence relative to the 2020 general election; Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, James Agalga, has said.
At least 6 people believed to be supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) are said to have died following the shooting incidents that took place at some polling stations and collation centers across the country during and after this year’s election.
Speaking to Samuel Mbura on A1 Radio’s Daybreak Upper East program, Lawyer Agalga called for the IGP to be dismissed from his position if he faills to resign; because according to him, the police boss has failed the people of Ghana.
“The Inspector General of Police should be sacked if he fails to resign. He has failed the people of this country.”
Justifying his call, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa North narrated that “The IGP just before we went on recess for the elections, briefed the house on the security arrangements that they had put in place to ensure that the elections were peaceful before, during and after.”
“We were guided by what happened during the conduct of the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election where some bandits spotted in khaki uniform attacked unarmed citizens, opening fire on them. The Emile Short Commission of Enquiry was set up and when the IGP at the time and his director of operations appeared before the commission, they simply had no clue about who deployed those bandits.”
“So guided by the Ayawaso West Wuogon experience, when the IGP came before us in parliament and stated that he as IGP, he was going to be the Chairman of the National Election Security Taskforce, we told him in plain language that in view of the fact that he was going to be in charge of security for the elections, should anything untoward happen, he was going to be held responsible. So we were very clear and the IGP heard us.”
Touching on the police describing protests by supporters of the NDC as being against the Public Order Act of the country, Lawyer Agalga expressed worry over what he said was the unprofessional manner the police was dealing with the protesters.
“I saw some police and military officers in uniform open live ammunitions, live fire on unarmed citizens. Now they {the police} are not talking about that one; they’re rather talking about the violation of the public order act. They should have some sense of shame. People are protesting against the commission of murder and you turn round and talk about public order?” He lamented.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Ghana
