Amnesty International Ghana claims Police lacks systems to tackle mob action

Human right advocate, Amnesty International Ghana has criticised the police service for doing too little and having no database as acts of mob justice persist and is widespread in the country.

The agency board chairman in Ghana George Aggyir speaking to journalists at its Annual General Meeting in Tamale, themed “Protecting Our Environment and Our Right Life” levelled the biting criticism after raising red flag about the increase in mob attacks.

According to him the lack of security infrastructures specially designed to deal with the menace starkly exposed the police service lack of seriousness towards fighting cases of instant justice.

“It’s been happening but security agencies have not taken notice, or if they have taken notice of it, they don’t even have a database on it”, the board leader laments.

He therefore called on government to strengthen security surveillance systems and solve security agents dismal attitude to distress calls.

He said though cases of mob attacks in the country were reducing at comparative rate, the Amnesty International wasn’t alarmed at the recent National tragedy where residents of a village in the Central region mobbed to death an army captain after mistaken him for armed robber.

Mr. George said amnesty international had spoken loudly and extensively on the need for the country to take the fight against mob attacks seriously.

“For Amnesty International, we’ve being talking about it long, long ago but I know now that it has become an issue, the nation will take it up and help us talk about mob action”.

The human right body reminds government of its moral obligation to defend human rights and calls for urgent measures to ensure free, lawful society.

“Death penalty issue is still on the low side but still we are talking about to make sure that it is only day abolished".

“So we are on the right path but we need to work hard as a nation to ensure that the right of every individual is observed”.

Speaking also at the event, Northern regional boss of the Environmental Protection Agency, Abu Iddrisu also decried the lack of government sponsored special treatment centres for mental patients in Northern Ghana where weather temperatures are hostile.

The environmentalist believes it unacceptable to allow people with psychiatric disorder to prance around in harmattan season and called for construction of psychiatric hospitals in the three regions of the North.

Mr. Abu however stunned participants when he made a valid but risible revelation that the lunatics left to roam aimlessly also cause bushfire.

He explained that during dry seasons lunatics who wandered about due to lack of treatment centres, lit fire to stay warm which mostly rages and cause destruction.

He asked the amnesty international to do more in that regard to ensure systems and institutions recognise the right of all citizens including People Living with Disabilities.

Amnesty International is an international human rights organisation, whose activities cut across all human rights including the right to exploit the environment.

In 2012, an amnesty international report named Ghana among three countries that it’s legal loopholes made it potential safe havens for fugitives suspected of war crimes and crime against humanity and demanded a closure.