Review mandate of Ayawaso West Wuogon Commission of Enquiry – Criminologist

The terms of reference of the commission of enquiry into violence at the Ayawaso West Wougon by-election must be reviewed, a criminologist has suggested.

A three-member commission chaired by a former boss of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) Emile Short has within a month to unravel circumstances leading to the violence. Other members of the presidential commission are Mrs. Henrietta Mensah Bonsu and Mr. Patrick K. Acheampong.

They have been mandated to: “(a) to make a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of, and establish the facts leading to, the events and associated violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon By-Election on the 31st day of January 2019; (b) to identify any person responsible for or who has been involved in the events, associated violence and injuries; (c) to inquire into any matter which the Commission considers incidental or reasonably related to the causes of the events and the associated violence and injuries; and (d) to submit within one month its report to the President giving reasons for its findings and recommendations, including appropriate sanctions, if any.”

However, speaking on Morning Starr, a Criminologist Dr Justice Tankebe said the scope of investigation of the commission must be expanded to cover other areas of operation of the police.

“I hope that the mandate given the Commission is changed a little bit. The first one should be investigation into what happened at Ayawaso. The kind of security architecture we have can be the second mandate of the Commission,” Dr. Tankebe told sit-in host Eric Mawuenya Egbeta.

He added: “If the Commission spends about a month investigating Ayawaso only, the fundamental issues will still be there and that means nothing will change. The worst thing that could happen to us is not what has happened at Ayawaso, but rather not making good use of Ayawaso.

“I think the Commission’s mandate or term of operation should be amended immediately. Handling the Ayawaso issue alone by the Commission is not enough.”

Violence erupted during last Thursday’s by-election at Ayawaso-West Wuogon constituency after some armed masked heavily built men in police vehicles stormed the residence of the residence of the NDC parliamentary candidate.

The Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George was also assaulted and slapped several times by the unknown men.

NPP’s Lydia Seyram Alhassan won the election and was sworn-in by Parliament on Tuesday.