Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Wa East Constituency, has called for a thorough investigation into alleged military brutality meted out to the people of Manwe and Goripie communities in the constituency.
He called on the Defence and Justice Ministers to “take an interest in this matter” since the brutalities had shifted from “mining sites to brutality of innocent community members.”
Dr. Jasaw made the call in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa, in reaction to an alleged military invasion of the two communities on Thursday, January 25, 2024.
“It has come to my attention that these communities, known for their peaceful existence, were targeted under the guise of addressing illegal mining activities.
“How come the mining sites themselves were not targeted but soldiers decided to go into the communities to seize motorbikes of innocent community members amid the firing of gunshots?
“We are not in a jungle and so our citizens must be treated with respect and dignity. I call on you to investigate this incident and return all seized property immediately” the MP said.
The statement said motorbikes belonging to the newly elected Assemble member and a Unit Committee Member of the Manwe Electoral Area were also seized when they approached the soldiers to urge restraint.
While condemning the actions of the military officers in no uncertain terms, Dr Jasaw said he had been informed that such acts had happened recently and “in some cases, monies exchanged hands before such seized properties were released.”
The statement indicated that such actions not only violated the rights of the individuals involved but also contributed to the breakdown of trust between the military and the civilian population.
The statement stressed that it was imperative that the rights and dignity of all individuals were respected, and every action taken by security forces should be in line with the law.
The statement said it was unfortunate that the Upper West Regional Minister and the Wa East District Chief Executive (DCE) were both “claiming innocence” about the incident.
Dr. Jasaw called on the members of the affected communities to exercise restraint while he engaged the necessary stakeholders to ensure justice was served.
GNA
CAE/BM/AD
29 Jan. 2024
Photo caption: Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, MP for Wa East Constituency
