The Tamale Metropolitan Security Council has described as “unjustified and condemnable,” the swoop by the Ghana Police Service in the Changli community on Saturday April 18.
The METSEC also said “the Police had acted unprofessionally and could not justify their action and conduct, no matter the level of provocation”.
In a communiqué, copied to Diamond news, the METSEC indicated that, “there was the need for the Regional Security Council to initiate an enquiry into the events leading to the destructions in the community in order for the Police officers who were involved to be dealt with accordingly”.
It will be recalled that, on the dawn of Saturday April 18, 2020, Police in Tamale raided the Changli community and arrested of 134 suspects, culminating in the destruction of property and causing injury to several community members including children and a TV Africa reporter.
The Police claimed their action was in response to an assault on a female Police officer who had gone into the community to effect arrest of a woman believed to be a prime suspect in a theft case.
But after a meeting with various political party leaders in Tamale, METSEC said “there was the need for the Police to rally the support of political parties in dealing with crime in the communities, since they are better placed to assist and dispel any notion of political vindictiveness in the course of the legitimate duty of the police”.
Touching on the COVID-19 pandemic, METSEC stressed “the need for intensive education on the COVID-19 pandemic in communities within the Metropolis via radio and Television”.
The statement added that, radio and TV discussions on COVID-19 must be done by experts within the health profession in other for the public not to be misinformed.
The committee stated that, in ensuring compliance with the Presidential directive on public gathering, the Islamic clerics must also be engaged since they play a key role in officiating weddings, naming ceremonies and funerals within the Metropolis.
The Tamale Metropolitan Security Council also urged parents to “have responsibility towards the safety of their children and must ensure that their wards are not allowed to roam during these critical times of COVID-19 pandemic”
Source: Edward A. Ken-Zorre | www.diamondfmonline.com | Ghana
