Investigations into the circumstances that led to the physical assault of some residents in Wa by soldiers stationed at the 10 Mechanised Battalion have begun. The 4-member committee instituted by the Military High Command is headed by Colonel B.Z Ayorrogo.
Briefing the media, the Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih said the committee has five days to complete their work and present a finished report to the Military High Command in Accra.
Dr. Salih also disclosed that another Investigative Committee setup by Parliament is expected in the region, to conduct an independent investigation to ascertain the cause of the attack and the persons involved.
“A few days ago, some unruly young soldiers molested some residents in the Upper West Region here in Wa. Upon hearing the issues, I informed the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Thomas Oppong Peprah. They [Military High Command] sent a delegation led by the Chief of Army Staff of to deliberate with the Overlord of the Waala Traditional Area and some other key stakeholders,” he recounted.
Dr. Salih continued to say “a committee was sent on Sunday to investigate the matter. The team met me [on Tuesday ] to hear what I know about the incident. They are currently in the region and will be here for about five days. Aside that, the Parliament of Ghana, has setup a committee to investigate the matter and I am reliably informed that they will be here [Wednesday, 07th July, 2021]”.
The Upper West Regional Minister called for continues calm as investigations into the bizarre incident continue. “the Upper West Region is peaceful and we will ensure that the culprits are identified and brought to book. I want to assure all and sundry that that incident will not happen in the Upper West Region again. Thus, we expect everyone to do their work diligently and know that no one will harass you,” he said.
It will be recalled that on July 1, the Republic Day, scores of soldiers flooded the main street of Wa and assaulted residents. Unconfirmed reports say the actions of the soldiers were occasioned by the theft of a mobile phone belonging to one of the men. Some of the residents who were attacked sustained various degrees of injuries with Gafaru Mahama suffering a broken leg. The Public Relations Officer of the Regional Coordinating Council, Cletus Awuni and the Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ahmed Mustapha were also assaulted. After the incident it is reported that three persons visited the Wa Municipal Hospital for Treatment while thirteen others have filed complaints with the police in Wa.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz| Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
