Ejura shooting: This is not the Ghana we preach to the world – Sarkodie

Ghanaian rapper, Sarkodie has expressed his disgust over the upheaval in Ejura in the Ashanti Region.

Sarkodie in a tweet said, “Definitely not the ‘Ghana’ we preach to the world.”

His comment follows the gruesome murder of Macho Kaaka in Ejura over the weekend.

There was also a violent clash among the military officers and the youth of the area who were demonstrating in that town on Tuesday, June 29 following the murder.

This led to the death of two persons with four sustaining various degrees of injury.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has relayed the government’s sentiments about events that have ensued in Ejura in the Ashanti Region involving the suspected murder of a social activist Mohammed Kaaka and the subsequent deaths of 2 others.

He described the situation as unfortunate and condemnable.

The Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker described the action as a crime and urged the security establishment to conduct swift investigations into the murder

He also called for a thorough investigation into the crowd control protocol employed at the scene of the riot in Ejura on June 29 to ascertain a clear sequence of the events of the day that lead to 2 deaths and several injuries.

He has advised politicians to desist from the profiteering of the tragedy.

“Our security agencies should be quick and clinical in getting to the bottom of this and other unresolved crimes.

“While we understand that Police investigations sometimes take a while it doesn’t instill confidence in the population if such acts go unresolved and unpunished quickly. So the Police need to get to the bottom of this and justice must be done.”

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu blamed the disturbances on vigilante boys who he said belong to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who have been enrolled into the various security agencies.

He said these persons have not trained properly hence their unprofessionalism when they are sent out to provide security.

Haruna Iddrisu told journalists in Parliament on Wednesday, June 30 that “When it happened in Techiman when innocent citizens were maimed and killed for purposes of wanting to turn an electoral decision and to overturn the sovereign decision, many of you didn’t appreciate it as an act and conduct of overzealousness by men in uniform.

“We have repeatedly cautioned that many who are now being recruited into the security agencies are not trained enough and are not trained adequately. Persons who ordinarily should be trained for nine months are being trained for three months and are asked to be on the field as weapon-trigger happy persons.

“More significantly is the worrying absorption into the security agencies in particular the Police and the Ghana Armed Forces of NPP apparatchiks vigilantes.

“They are not professionals, they can never be professionals. You know their modus operandi as they chase even NPP Ministers out. We are not surprised.”

He further asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to take responsibility for the disturbances.

In his view, the President has reduced the country to a lawless state where there is no regard for life and property.

President Akufo-Addo has instructed the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, to conduct, forthwith, a Public Inquiry into the circumstances that led to the unfortunate occurrences of Tuesday, 29th June 2021.

The Interior Minister is to provide a detailed report from the Inquiry, with recommendations for appropriate action, within ten days, by 9th July 2021, to President Akufo-Addo.

“The President is deeply saddened by the deaths of Ibrahim Mohammed, alias ‘Kaaka’, Abdul Nasir Yussif and Murtala Mohammed.

“He extends sincere condolences to the families of the deceased, and wishes the injured a speedy recovery,” a statement issued by Director of Communications at the President Eugene Arhin said on Wednesday.

But Haruna Iddrisu who is a lawmaker for Tamale South said “Understandably, we have heard President Nana Addo Danlwa Akufo-Addo instruct the Minister for the Interior for a Commission of Inquiry into this matter.

“The President must accept full responsibility for reducing this country into a police state. No respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms, no respect for the dignity of man, no respect for the liberty of the Ghanaian citizens, and no respect for the constitutionally guaranteed rights to live.”