Kpebu backs Mahama’s push for action over Javits Frimpong’s death

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has backed the Ghana government’s efforts to press the United States for action following the death of Ghanaian Javits Frimpong amid concerns over gun violence.

He said the government should continue engaging American authorities to ensure that the concerns raised by Ghana receive attention and that measures are taken to address the circumstances surrounding the death.

Speaking on the issue on TV3’s Keypoints Mr Kpebu expressed support for the position communicated by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Smith, saying he shared the government’s displeasure and concern over the incident.

“Ultimately, I’ll go with Ambassador Smith as he’s expressed our government’s, the people and government’s of Ghana’s displeasure, concern about this particular problem, and then we’ll see how the American government can do more,” he said.

He urged Ghana to sustain its efforts, acknowledging that tackling gun violence in the United States would not be an easy undertaking because of the country’s complicated gun ownership debate and the influence of powerful interest groups.

Mr Kpebu also expressed hope that the engagement between the two governments would eventually result in compensation for the bereaved families.

He, however, stressed that financial compensation could never make up for the loss of human life.

“Maybe we’ll see eventually that there will be compensation for their families. Of course, no amount of money can compensate for their lives, but eventually we hope that something will be done to ameliorate the pain,” he stated.

He said the government, led by President John Mahama, and Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States had access to more information on the matter and should continue pushing for an appropriate response.

Mr Kpebu maintained that although the issue of gun violence in America was complex, Ghana should not abandon its efforts to seek action following the death.

He expressed hope that the continued engagement would help bring some relief to the affected families and contribute to broader efforts to make American society more peaceful.