Kennedy Agyapong reacts to Ashaiman military swoop

The chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong, has called for a peaceful resolution between the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ashaiman residents who were subjected to harassment and abuse in a recent swoop.

Kennedy Agyapong said that it was unfortunate for such an incident to happen, but that he extends his sympathy to the Ashaiman community and the Ghana Armed Forces as a whole, who also lost a colleague soldier as a result of a mob attack by some locals of the vicinity.

“We all have to admit as human beings that there were excesses and therefore, we sympathise with the people of Ashaiman.

“At the same time, we also sympathise with the Ghana Armed Forces for our young men taking the law into their own hands to kill one of them,” he said.

Kennedy Agyapong told journalists outside Parliament on Thursday, March 9, 2023, that the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament is exercising caution at this crucial time because they don’t want to visit the neighbourhood to make statements that would inflame the emotions of the residents.

“We, as members of the Committee, cannot inflame passions by going there to make comments that will annoy a faction. We are not to do that,” Kennedy Agyapong said.

Kennedy Agyapong who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Assin Central Constituency added that he’s hoping for peace to prevail.

“Our mission is to make sure we have peace in this country. The unfortunate incident that happened, we have all condemned it and the Minister (of Defence) has even apologised on behalf of the military that they admit that there were excesses.”

Some soldiers invaded Ashaiman in the early hours of Tuesday apparently in search of murderers of their young colleague.

Several videos of the incident captured by some residents went viral on social media. In some of these videos, personnel were seen hitting and brutalising those who were outside.

The incident happened from the dawn of Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at Official Town in Ashaiman.

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AM/SARA