The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ejura Sekyedumase Assembly, Mohammed Salisu Bamba says “faceless individuals” incited the youth against him and the police prior to the day of the protest [Tuesday, June 29, 2021].
According to him, those persons capitalised on the death of Ibrahim Muhammed alias Kaaka for their parochial interest.
Mr. Salisu Bamba made these comments on Thursday, July 8, 2021, when he took his turn before the ministerial committee probing the disturbances.
He used the opportunity to advise the committee not to look at the disturbances in isolation, but also consider some issues that transpired before Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
“So far, I have not received any news on those behind Kaaka’s death, but what I can say is that some faceless individuals are trying to use his death for their own parochial interest. What I also want to add is that the whole protest that led to the death of two other individuals cannot be looked at in isolation.”
“I can also add that the event of June 29 that led to the death of two other individuals and others getting injured cannot be looked at in isolation. Some of the interviews that I have listened to point to the fact that the youth and the community were actually polarized against the police and the political heads before the day of the incident.”
The MCE also added that he wasn’t in Ejura on the day of the disturbance.
“They instigated the youth against the police. So the same way they attacked the police and the police retreated, I think my presence would have been made things worse.”
The MCE also admitted that the late Kaaka was a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) but could not confirm if he was a card bearing member of the party.
“Kaaka was a member of the NPP, but I wouldn’t be able to say whether he had a card, but he was a strong member of the party who comes around anytime party activities are happening. Even when he died, it was a party pick-up that was used to carry his corpse back to Ejura.”
He thus described him as someone who was “interesting, jovial and a very outspoken person.”
When asked whether the police had interrogated him with regard to Kaaka’s death, he said: “not yet”.
Politicians ‘hijacked’ Kaaka’s death for their parochial interest
DCOP David Agyemang Adjem, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, also expressed concern about the attempt by some persons to politicise the death of the social activist, Kaaka, whose killing sparked the protest.
“I think that there were more things in the background than what we see. I am saying this because for example, when Kaaka was killed, there were a number of political people who jumped in and hijacked the incident for their own parochial interest. So it tells you that there was a political undertone in this whole instant.”
“For example, we are told Kaaka was an NDC person, but some other parties are claiming he was their member, and subsequently all NPP items in Ejura were vandalized, and I’m sure that if an NPP person had died, you won’t destroy your own party items.”
Background
The violence occurred during protests that followed the death of Ibrahim Muhammed.
Ibrahim Muhammed, alias Kaaka, died after he was attacked by a mob on June 27 while returning home.
He’s believed to have been killed because he was critical of the government.
The 45-year-old was noted to be vocal on both local and national issues using his Facebook page.
Police in the Ashanti Region have since arrested three persons in connection with his death and put them before the court.
Ibrahim Muhammed was buried on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, alongside the two others who died in the protest.
