THE government has released an additional ?6 billion ($830,000) to the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to facilitate its work.
This brings to the total amount released to the commission so far ?7.6 billion, since it began its work this year. The initial amount released was ?1.6 billion.
The Director of Public Affairs of the NRC, Ms Annie Anipa, who announced this at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said, “this swift response of the government to our needs is a clear indication of the government’s commitment to the reconciliation process.” The commission requires about $5 million to enable it to complete its work.
Giving a breakdown of how the money will be utilised, she said ?2.2 billion will be used to purchase vehicles and equipment for the five zonal offices and the headquarters.
Ms Anipa said the commission is gearing up particularly at the zonal offices to deploy staff to the districts to take statements from alleged victims and persons with complaints of human rights violations.
She, therefore, described the release of the funds for the acquisition of the vehicles and equipment as refreshing as it will facilitate the work of all the offices while public education on the reconciliation process will be extended to cover the districts.
Ms Anipa noted that the commission has accepted the challenge contained in its mandate “that’s why in spite of the apparent lack of logistics in the first month of its work, all the directorates of the commission kept working conscientiously.”
She expressed the hope that this would lay to rest the concerns expressed about funding and logistics.
Ms Anipa said the money will be able to sustain the commission for the last quarter of the year and January next year when it will require another release. On the number of people who have filed complaints with the commission so far, she said a total of 1,983 people have filed, with Greater Accra still in the lead with 755, followed by Kumasi with 527.
Ms Anipa said Takoradi has 281, Tamale 256 while Bolgatanga has 53.
Ms Anipa dispelled the misconception that the commission is targeting the military and other security agencies because it held interactive fora with the armed forces, the police and the prison services in the Greater Accra Region.
She said the interactions have rather deepened the understanding of these services on the commission’s work and also helped to dispel the misconceptions that the commission is targeting the military and other security agencies, especially when information was made available that ex-military and ex-police officers have submitted statements to the commission.
Ms Anipa said the commission has also been able to put counsellors in all zonal offices to deal with the emotional needs of alleged victims.
“Our counsellors have been making follow-up visits to the homes of aggrieved persons who are unable to come to the commission’s offices. This is because counselling is an important aspect of the commission’s work, as it is the beginning of the healing process which is vital for achieving reconciliation,” she added.
Ms Anipa said the complaints from non-resident persons are also welcome and described the response from Ghanaians living abroad as encouraging. She said the commission requests persons with vital information who are not resident in Ghana to submit their statements through any reliable means.
On media coverage so far, she said it has been satisfactory but called for more circumspection.
Ms Anipa said for instance, that the media have published reports of complaints by alleged victims of human rights violations after such complaints have been lodged with the commission.
She said as much as the commission would want to believe that such publications are done with good intentions, it is the observation of the commission that such publications could interfere with its investigations as vital evidence could be destroyed or tampered with.
Ms Anipa, therefore, appealed to the media to co-operate and help the commission realise its objectives by exercising their editorial judgement to publish or not to publish such stories when approached by aggrieved persons.
“This will ensure that the commission’s work is made easier,” she said. Meanwhile, the government has stated that money will not hamper the work of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC).
It said in spite of the initial financial problems confronting the NRC, it will always find the resources to enable the commission to fulfil its mandate. A Government Spokesperson, Mr Kofi Amponsah Bediako who gave the assurance in an interview, said the government accepts that the reconciliation process is necessary and must begin immediately without delay.
He was reacting to assertions in the media that the commission was under-resourced.
