Bagbin vows not to allow state institutions operate as appendages of political parties

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has expressed concerns regarding how how some state institutions appear to be turning into political party outfits rendering services to the parties.

Speaking in relation to the brutalities meted out to the citizens by some security officers in the country, Mr Bagbin said in Parliament on Tuesday June 14 that the House will not allow these institutions to be operated as though they are working for the political parties.

“When it comes to the oversight responsibility of Parliament, that is what the people have decided that their representative should do. They cannot on their own get up together to do that and so they elected people and empowered them to do it.

“Parliament wild definitely not interfere with the functions of independent commissions and the rest but the oversight responsibility rests in this house and nobody can take that away from us. We will not allow state institutions to only operate as government bodies or party institutions, it won’t happen in tis country, then that is not democracy.

“No government should be allowed to go with that. Please state institutions should remain state institutions and they are to serve all the arms of government, not only executive arm. States institutions are for the state and that is why there is the emphasis in us strengthening the state institutions,” he said.

Mr Bagbin further directed the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament to, in a week, visit the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi and report to Parliament.

He said: “Few days ago I made references to the Committee on Defence and Interior about the brutalities being meted to ordinary citizens by our security agencies. I do not mince words in stating that we take those things seriously and I even directed the committee to investigate all the reports that have been generated from commissions and committees set out to investigate such maters have have yielded no results. Now another incident has happened immediately after that.

“I don’t have any evidence that the Police is investigating the matter but I think leaders are very credible witnesses and so I believe that you said is the case.

“I think that our security authorities should not, in such cases, be releasing Police with live bullets on such situations but if the Police is actually investigating the matter n0w what we ca do as a house is to immediately show concern, visit the Police, let them know that we are awaiting their report and then after the report we are entitled to take a=further actions. We will also have to visit the scene to sympathize with the people.”

Meanwhile, the Police have announced that the Deputy Regional Commander in the Ashanti Region, DCOP Kwesi Akomea Apraku, has been removed following the shooting incident at the School on Monday June 13.

This was after the Inspector General of Police Dr George Akuffo Dampre led a team to the area to assess the situation.

Portions of a statement issued by the Police after the IGP’s visit said “It was further established that even though nobody was hit by a bullet the Police handling of the incident was poor and fell short of our standard operating procedure on crowd control.

“As a result, DCOP Kwesi Akomeah-Apraku who was acting as the Regional Commander has been removed from his position and has been interdicted. Two other officers, ACP Mr George Ankomah, the Regional Operations Officer and ACP Mr Alex Cudjoe Acquah, the Suame Divisional Police Commander have also been interdicted to make way for a thorough investigations into the matter.”

Over thirty students of the Islamic Senior High School were rushed to the hospital after the police allegedly fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse students who were demonstrating over incessant vehicular knockdown.

Worried parents stormed the school to demand for the release of their wards on Monday June 13.

The affected students were conveyed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and other hospitals in Kumasi.

“I should be worried but some of them have been resituated . we will follow to the hospital and see how they are doing,” Madam Mary Owusu Afriyie, the Regional Education Director told journalists.

Sumaila Abukari, a parent whose daughter was one of the victims said his daughter complained of heart-related issues after the incident.

He said doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital were examining her to ascertain whether or not she had developed heart conditions following the incident

Speaking in interview with TV3’s William Evans-Nkum, he said “After going round several hospitals in search of my daughter, I finally found her at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. I was told she fell into coma but regained consciousness. She is now complaining of heart issue and so we are waiting for the doctors to examine her.”

The Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, Abdul Mumin, reacting to the disturbances called for the removal of the Police commander who ordered that the students should be shot at.

He condemned the action of the Police.

“The commander who instructed his men to fire live bullet failed, he has to be punished for that. We are waiting for the Inspector General of Police to discuss this with him. These are students who were demonstrating they weren’t armed so why do you fire live bullet?” he told TV3’s Ibrahim Abubakar in interview on Monday June 13.

source: 3news