IGP James Oppong Boanuh to appear before Parliament’s Defence Committee next week

 

BY: Nana Gyenin

Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee have summoned IGP James Oppong Boanuh over recent killings during and after the December 7 elections.

In an interview with the Chairman of the Committee, Seth Acheampong said as Head of the Election Security Taskforce, IGP Oppong Boanuh would need to report on the operations of the country’s security agencies.

The Minority in Parliament earlier requested that the IGP be summoned and queried as to why 6 persons have been killed and 17 others injured as a result of electoral violence at various constituencies.

According to the NDC MPs, prior to the elections, IGP Oppong Boanuh assured the House that his men would practice professionalism to ensure that things don’t go awry during the elections.

In view of this, the Defence and Interior Committee led by Mr Acheampong has sent an invitation to the Inspector-General of Police to appear before the Committee next week for an in-camera conversation.

“If you are doing an assessment of the entire deployment, we did well as a country and we must pat ourselves on the back. We should however, condemn the excesses.

“But as I always say, as you admonish and talk about the extremes and that the security service personnel should restrain themselves at the least provocation, we must admonish ourselves as citizens to also ensure that we take our civic duties responsibly and don’t go overboard,” he said.

Mr Acheampong also came to the defence of security personnel following the demand by the Minority to dismiss IGP Oppong Boanuh over deaths recorded during the election.

According to the Mpraeso lawmaker, the security services were only defending themselves and electoral officers against the illegitimate riots being carried out by some citizens.

He noted that if the security personnel had not ‘reacted’ the perpetrators of these violent acts would have overpowered the State.

“I think the security men were in defence of the attack that were being waged against them. The first and immediate person was to defend themselves but unfortunately out of that defence, lives fell. But let us not go away from the fact that, an action resulted in such a reaction.

“

We must, as a nation live up to our responsibility. We have all endorsed, this dispensation of democracy and democracy is the Rule of Law, so if you don’t understand anything, do not take the laws into your hand. If you do, I will not falter the security service personnel, because if they had not stood up, the people would have overpowered them, which means they have overpowered the State,” he was categorical.

The Defence and Interior Committee Chairman then commended the National Election Security Taskforce (NEST) for their unwavering dedication towards ensuring a peaceful election.