Ejura Shooting: 10 major recommendations made by the 3-Member Committee
The three-member committee set up by the Interior Ministry under the instruction of President Akufo-Addo to look into some disturbances that occurred in Ejura has presented its reports.
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George Kingsley Koomson, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Security Expert, Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso, and Juliet Amoah, Executive Director of Penplusbyte, a civil society organization, were members of the committee.
The committee investigated incidents that led to the killing of two people, with many others injured in Ejura.
Source: UGC
YEN.com.gh has listed below some 10 recommendations made by the committee after weeks of the probe into the matter.
1. The committee recommended that the families of the two deceased persons who lost their lives in the shootout, Abdul Nasir Yusuf and Murtala Suraj Mohammed, be compensated.
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2. Also, compensation is to be paid to the three other injured persons, namely; Louis Ayikpa (20 years), Awal Misbau (16 years), and Nasif Nuhu (30 years).
3. The committee also called for the immediate transfer of the District Police Commander of Ejura, DSP Philip Kojo Hammond, for not having enough competence to handle the situation. This recommendation was also based on the fact that his relationship with the community has gone sour.
4. Another recommendation made was for the immediate removal of the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipal Chief Executive, Mohammed Salisu Bamba.
5. The Ejura Police Station needs to be expanded, with the personnel increased to handle situations there, since it has been earmarked as a hotspot for violence.
6. Recommendations were also given to the Military Establishment to review Lieutenant Martin Opoku Adusei's actions for the inappropriate use of force and apply sanctions.
7. The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has been tasked to ensure intensity in its Public education with regards to rights, obligations, and civic responsibilities of the people of Ejura.
8. Another recommendation was to have Conflict and Crisis Management training at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College at least once every year for REGSEC, MUSEC, and DISEC officials.
9. All officials deployed for crowd control in times of crisis must have body cameras. Also, all vehicles and mobile gadgets employed must also have cameras.
10. Last but not least, the committee recommended that Sports and Recreational Facilities should be established in Ejura to keep the youth busy and also for them to channel their energies into something productive.
Background
The impasse in Ejura started after Ibrahim Muhammed, a father of six and an activist was murdered in cold blood by unknown persons outside his residence at Ejura in the Ashanti Region.
Sahada Hudu, the deceased's wife, said prior to his death, he had received warnings regarding his activism from a person she knows.
She said her attempts to stop him from getting himself in danger proved futile as he continued with his advocacy.
Following his death, the youth of Ejura embarked on a demonstration, seeking answers from authorities. It ended in a shooting by security personnel and the death of two other people.
I saw seven military men shooting
Taking his turn before the committee investigating the Ejura shooting incident, a journalist with the Multimedia group who shot the viral video shared what he saw.
The Multimedia journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor, stated that he initially saw four soldiers and then later another three personnel shooting at the protesters.
He further explained that the military initially started shooting into the cloud but later on started shooting directly at the crowd.
Erasmus added that the shooting continued for about 20 to 30 minutes, causing some of them to retreat and others to fall.
Source: YEN.com.gh
