Civil movement #FixTheCountry is demanding answers from the Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo concerning the deployment of a military contingent to Taifa, a suburb of Ashaiman on Monday, March 7, 2023.
Following the murder of young soldier, Imoro Sherrif, the Ghana Armed Forces says a swoop in the vicinity by some contingent was sanctioned by the Military High Command but was not a reprisal for the murder incident.
Some residents were whipped, leaving marks of strokes on their bodies, forced to drink dirty water from the gutters and asked to roll in stagnant waters on the ground among other treatments.
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Many have criticised the deed asking the military to have employed some due diligence to spare innocent residents the trauma they went through.
During his address to the nation less than 24 hours after the incident, President Akufo-Addo did not speak about it, and has since not uttered a word on it.
The FixTheCountry group which has earlier condemned the act is now asking the President if he sanctioned the operation.
Read below their press statement issued Monday, March 13.
Press Release
Request for Information concerning the President’s role in the Deployment of the Military to brutalize citizens in Ashaiman.
Earlier today 13 March 2023, FixTheCountry filed a Right to Information request at the Office of the President in connection with the President’s role in the decision to deploy military personnel to brutalize civilians in Ashaiman.
Per the request, the Convenors of FixTheCountry are asking:
a. Did the President, as Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces authorize, approve or participate in the decision of the Military High Command to deploy a military contingent or unit to certain neighbourhoods in Ashaiman in the early hours of 7th March 2023.
b. If the answer to the above is no, was the President, as Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, informed of the decision of the Military High Command to deploy a military contingent or unit to certain neighbourhoods in Ashaiman in the early hours of 7th March 2023, before the contingent was deployed.
c. Has the President, as Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, taken any punitive or disciplinary actions in connection with the brutalities and massive violations of human right violations that took place when the military contingent attacked civilians in certain neighbourhoods of Ashaiman in connection with the decision of the Military High Command to deploy a military contingent or unit to certain neighbourhoods in Ashaiman in the early hours of 7th March 2023.
According to the Right to Information Act, the President must respond to the request within 14 days of the request.
We signal our intention to pursue the necessary courses of action that exist under law to force a disclosure of the requested information.
Signed.
#FixTheCountry
By Felix Anim-Appau|Onuaonline.com
