Security personnel should have used dialogue in settling the Ejura protest
Mr Paul Boateng, a Security Analyst has said the security personnel should have used dialogue in restoring calm in the Ejura protest rather than using guns which have caused the deaths of two protesters.
According to him, the Ghana Police Service knowing, Ibrahim Mohammed alias Kaaka who was slain, was a vibrant social activist, they should have realised that the youth was going to be irritated.
Therefore, they should have met with the family of the deceased, his friends, other youth activists in the area, and the Chief Imam to assure them of the Police Service ensuring that the perpetrators would be brought to book.
‘’And with the dialogue no matter how angry the youth were they will calm down, it’s not all the time that guns will be used in such situations ‘’he indicated.
He said this in an interview with Kwaku Aboagye Apenteng host of Freedom Radio’s ‘’Yen Man’’ show concerning a confrontation by police officers and armed military officers who fired shots allegedly in response to the pelting of stones and use of clubs by the Ejura protestors.
‘’The deceased was a youth and a well-known activist when his life was threatened the security should have protected him and he not being security conscious, he was not able to manage his security ‘’ he explained.
Mr Boateng explained that what happened at Ejura was a security failure, the Police instead of dealing with the issue waited for it to escalate before acting and the security personnel deployed to the scene did not do due diligence.
He said before a military team would be called for such an operation then the situation might have intensified, but in the case of the Ejura protest, the issue was manageable and needed no military presence.
He advised the Ghana Police Service to be fair in their dealings because their attitude is irritating most of the youth of the country and making the citizens lose interest in the Police Service.
He called on authorities to bring to book all those who gave orders to the security personnel to fire shots into the protestors, urging the government to step up on security issues in the country because the current happenings were not pleasant.
Source: Kwame Akoto/ freedomradiogh.com
