Members of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament visited Ashaiman, a suburb of Accra where a young soldier was slain few days ago.
Part of the Committee’s mission was to commiserate with the family of the late young soldier and also get first hand information on what happened on the 7th March between the military and the residents of Taifa, Official New Town and Tulaku all areas in Ashaiman.
The Committee was led by the Chairman Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and the Ranking Member Hon. James Agalga and some members of the Committee including the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman constituency, Hon.Ernest Norgbey and some military personnel of the Ministry of Defence together with the sector Minister, Hon.Dominic Nitiwul.
It would be recalled that on 4th March 2023, a young trooper named Imoro Sheriff 22, was reportedly robbed and killed by unidentified people suspected to be living in and around Ashaiman. The Military later stormed the area on the 7th of March and subjected the residents to severe beatings to avenge the death of their colleague.
The Chairman of the committee, Hon Kennedy Agyapong sympathised with family and thanked the police for arresting the key suspects of the crime.
The young soldier’s junior brother, Abdul Rahman Imoro who was present with his mother, Hajia Sakina was promised to be taken care of until he finishes university by the Chairman of the Committee. The Chairman donated an amount of twenty thousand Ghana cedis to the family and also promised to complete the astro turf park in the Community and name it after the slain soldier Imoro Sheriff.
The Minister of Defence on his part expressed his condolences and also on behalf of the military high command and the Government to the family. He recounted the unfortunate story of the late Major Mahama as well some civilians who were murdered, stressing that these crimes must stop.
Hon. Nitiwul noted that the military has sworn to protect the civilian at the peril of their lives therefore it becomes very unfortunate when the same civilians the Military have sworn to protect decide to take lives of the Military. He later donated fifty thousand Ghana cedi’s to the family on behalf of the Ministry.
The Ranking Member of the Committee Hon. James Agalga assured the family of their commitment to use their oversight responsibility role over the Military to demand for justice because the future of the young soldier has been truncated.
The spokesperson of the group, “Ashaiman Lives Matter”, Lawyer Emmanuel Kumado proposed that the innocent civilians who were brutalised should be compensated.
In addition they proposed that all the Military High Command who sanctioned this crime should be sacked from the service so that civilians can be safe.
He later on presented a pictorial evidence to the committee for their perusal.
The Chairman assured them of swift action. He pleaded with them to see any uniform man as a friend and not an enemy.
