Mahama Death: State institutions must wake up - Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has admonished state institutions especially the courts and security agencies to wake up from their slumber following the gruesome murder of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama of the 5th Infantry Battalion (5BN)

He observed that the death of the young soldiers has sent shockwaves throughout the country and should serve as a wake-up call for these bodies to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively to ensure that systems are working.

In response to concerns raised by the Wa Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV over the recent state of insecurity in the country especially at Debkyira-Boase in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region where the soldier was killed in a mob attack, Mr Rawlings described the action as uncivilized and cruel.

“The loss of the captain sent shock wave throughout the country. I sincerely hope it would serve as the wake-up call to all of us. To government, the law enforcement agencies, the courts to wake up to our duties and our responsibilities in order prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future. This is a very uncivilized behavior, the sooner some ways found to contain this irresponsibility, this cruelty, the better for all of us”, he said.

Background

The late Captain Mahama was a military officer with the 5th Infantry Batallion (5BN) at Burma Camp in Accra but on detachment duties at the Denkyira Obuasi of the Central region.

Captain Mahama, according to his subordinates, was seen jogging along the main road and as he stopped by to ask some women for directions, the women saw a pistol on him. The women who were alarmed by the discovery of the pistol on Captain Mahama mistook him for an armed robber thereby alerting their assembly member who allegedly organised some men to lynch him and even burnt him in the process.