Parliamentary Defence and Interior Committee visits Agbogbloshie

Accra, Aug 28, GNA - Alhaji Sumani Abubakar, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, Interior and National Security, on Friday tasked the Police not to allow Dagombas in Agbogbloshie to extend the Dagbon crisis to Accra.

"It is unacceptable for them to carry their differences from the Northern Region to affect people who have no idea about how the Dagbon crises started, particularly in the month of Ramadam when Muslims are supposed to reflect on their lives and activities". Alhaji Abubakari made the call when members of the Committee paid a visit to Agbogbloshie to learn at first hand what caused violence at the place on Tuesday August 25, resulting in the death of three persons and injuries on others.

Alhaji Abubakar appealed to government to expedite action on the Dagbon case, so as to ease tension that had mounted in the area with spillovers to other parts of the country. He said "I am myself a Dagomba and will not sit down to allow a few people to take the law into their own hands to create problems for the entire nation to suffer".

Alhaji Abubakar commended the Police for exhibiting professionalism and urged them to remain resolute in their activities devoid of favoritism and partiality.

Mr. William Ofori Boafo, ranking member for the Committee, said the fact that members from both majority and minority political parties in Parliament jointly visited the place was a demonstration that it was an important issue. He urged the people to live as one people with a common destiny by discharging their duties devoid of politics, ethnicity and other levels of sectionalism.

Mrs Rose Bio Atinga, Greater Accra Regional Police commander, who conducted the committee members round some areas where the violence took place at Agbogbloshie, said although the disturbances occurred at the Konkomba Market, no Konkomba was involved in the violence as had been reported by some sections of the media. She gave the assurance that the Police would delve deep into the case to bring all culprits to book. 28 Aug 09