Pressure group OccupyGhana has backed government’s decision to establish a commission of inquiry chaired by Justice Emile Short, a former boss of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), to investigate the disturbances that characterised the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election a week ago.
The group, in a statement copied to citinewsroom.com, said it was satisfied with the calibre of people on the commission.
The Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Wednesday set up a Commission of Inquiry to probe circumstances that led to the violence that occurred during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election last Thursday.
The Commission also has former Dean of the Faculty of Law of GIMPA and private legal practitioner, Mr. Ernest Kofi Abotsi as its Secretary.
Henrietta Mensah Bonsu and Patrick K. Acheampong were also appointed as members of the Commission.
OccupyGhana which had earlier condemned the violence and called for a full-scale probe into circumstances that led to the violence at some polling stations during the election noted that although it would have preferred the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry under Chapter 23 of the Constitution, it believes that the formed commission will be able to help find answers to all the key questions surrounding the unfortunate incident.
Read below OccupyGhana’s statement:
OCCUPYGHANA® ENDORSES INQUIRY INTO AYAWASO WEST WUOGON ELECTORAL DISTURBANCES
OccupyGhana® has seen the statement issued by the Presidency yesterday, 6th February 2019, establishing an Inquiry into the Ayawaso West Wuogon electoral disturbances, literally moments after we issued our letter to the Minister for National Security on the same issue.
We have closely considered the Inquiry’s terms of reference. Much more importantly we have noted with satisfaction the calibre of the persons who have accepted to serve on the Inquiry. We are impressed by the reputation of the chairperson and members of, and the secretary to, the Inquiry.
Although we would have preferred the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry under Chapter 23 of the Constitution, we believe that this Inquiry has the potential to find answers to the questions that we posed in our letter of yesterday, 6th February 2019, to the Minster of National Security, and probably quicker than any court proceedings would take.
We fully expect that the Inquiry will address the following questions that we raised in our letter:
- The legal bases upon which the armed force of the National Security Council was assembled, maintained and deployed, if any;
- The circumstances under which the Ghana Police Service facilitated the acts of that force by supplying vehicles or other logistics for the operations of that day;
iii. The reason and necessity for maintaining the said force outside the legally and constitutionally recognised services established by law;
- The procedure for recruiting persons into the said force; and
- The financial provision made for maintaining the force.
It is in expectation of a full disclosure on these and all other matters that we endorse the Inquiry and its members. We anxiously await their report and will be watching to see the implementation of measures that we hope will reduce drastically, if not totally eliminate the scourge of electoral violence that has plagued this country for several years.
We wish the Inquiry well. Ghanaians are watching.
Meanwhile, a security analyst, Adam Bonaa wants the Commission of Inquiry set up by the government to look into the matter to hold its sittings on live television.
He said a live television broadcast of the sittings will ensure the credibility of the process and its final outcome.
“Let us have an open house inquiry where the media will be invited so we view this on live TV so that we following sitting-by-sitting how this will go just so that that in 2020, we will all be assured that we have learnt lessons and those who do this will be punished and those who are planning to do same, will know that they will be shamed and punished,” he said in a Citi News interview.
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By: Jonas Nyabor | citinewsroom.com | Ghana