In response to the riot on the piece of land at madina zongo junction

By: Abubakar sidiq Swalah

I was ill hearted after reading on your noble website what really inspired on Tuesday between the resident of madina zongo and the madina police department. There are couple of fact we should be looking at here on both the protestors side and the police side of action and the outcome of it as well as what will have been done to prevent such a riot from happen.


First of all to my knowledge I learnt the protestors did not have a permit to stage a protest and I belief they did what they had to do to protect the piece of land which the whole madina community was benefiting from, this very piece of land in question issue was in court for years until the case was lost to the Faith community Baptist school owner who intend is looking at setting up a project he said will benefit the entire community, to my knowledge that land was meant for the construction of a church, then it was mentioned that a hospital is going to be built on it. If it is a hospital he wants to build to benefit the community, why not invest that revenue in the hospital that is just two minute walk from that very piece of land and leave the land for the community to benefit from.


This land in question is used for many purposes both by the Christian community and Muslim community of the madina zongo for their religious purposes, even then political parties use as a ground for their political campaign and it is the only piece of land left in the very community for such purposes to be carried out on, if this land is given to an individual for his selfish development which he claims is in the interest of the madina zongo community then the authorities of have a question to answer.


The madina police on the other hand could have handled the situation better if they had the interest of peoples lives at heart, their action speaks otherwise, I am a serving personnel in one of the recognised security institution of the world and I come into contact with fire arms every day, there are rules and regulation governing the use of fire arms and force, the police firing a live bullets into the protestors was not the best solution to control the protest and they did not even have the right to fire rubber bullets into the protestors, tear gas is used to disperse protestors and not live ammunition, only aim shoot is used to protect live and not properties. The Madina police have shown unprofessionalism in the way they handled the situation to the extent of taken seizing the video recorder of a journalist from him to prevent him of taken live coverage of what was happening and they have to accept that fact and apologies to the madina zongo community and the whole nation as a whole.

A community is not a community without a community centre or hall as well as play grounds for the youth in this case this very piece of land in question serves as a community ground where all sort of public gatherings are being held, I pray this land issue will be reviewed by the local authorities and to look at the situation from a broad point of view and not weigh the issue with their pockets and favours they will be getting today for together we shall build a better Ghana.


Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things. I pray our community leaders, persons appointed by the government in to office; the police and youth will have a good sense of efficiency to promote the Ghanaian economy for a better development. Long live mother Ghana, God bless my home land Ghana.


swalahas@hotmail.com