SHOOTING THE SHOTS OF THE SHORT COMMISSION
There is been counter accusations of who orchestrated a gunshot that happened in the Awutu Senya East Constituency during just this limited voter registration exercise by the Electoral Commission which started this June 17, 2019 and scheduled to end on July 7. I thought that politicians will slow down their life-threatening actions and speeches while we continue to find solutions to vigilantism in Ghana, but no, they would not because all they care about is power.
I read a story on citinewsroom.com this morning suggesting that the National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party, Sammy Awuku has referred to the NDC’s demand for the immediate release of the report of the Emile Shot Commission of Inquiry as hypocritical. His basis being that the NDC said they would boycott the commission but now they are demanding for the release of their report. I wonder what you think about such comments and its justification.
Can you imagine all of Ernest Kofi Abotsi’s secretarial role to the Emile Shot’s Commission going waste? Well, I can’t. Just imagine all the hard pinch-punching, paralyzing and thought-provoking questions of Prof. Henrietta-Mensah Bonsu amounting to nothing. Well, if no detour is taken from the current trend of delay, over-politicization of every issue, these unimaginable imaginations will become our undesirable realities.
The Emile Short Commission of Inquiry was set up by President Akuffo Addo on February 6, 2019 to make inquiry into the unfortunate most condemned violence that characterised the January 31, 2019 bye-election of Ayawaso West Wuogon. The elections which was supposed to in a peaceful democratic manner find a replacement in parliament for the mentioned constituency because of the sudden passing of Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, turned bloody.
On Thursday, March 14, 2019, the commission presented its findings to the President of the republic after a month-long relentless questioning that made some people sweat under air-conditioned rooms. But, not much has been said or done about the findings of the report since then.
“The circumstances under which the unfortunate incident occurred might have proved somewhat difficult for others, but you did not hesitate to accept the assignment and the work that you have done has been in the public domain.
The whole country has seen the transparent nature of the proceedings and we have all followed it, obviously with great care and attention. I am happy that at long last it has come to an end.
We have a responsibility of ensuring the maintenance of law and order of our country, and that responsibility is not one which can be abdicated on any occasion”.
Those were some of the tongue rolling, ear sweetening and hope inspiring words of His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo when he received the report but that’s where it ended. Apparently, the commission heeded his call, didn’t shirk their responsibility but not much has been seen on the part of the president in the context of this report in terms of its implementation.
When the minority in parliament, the National Democratic Congress demanded the release of the report, even Sammy Awuku’s comment is the most recent, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is said to have responded on Starr FM saying that the government would not be rushed into publishing the said report. He quoted sections of the constitution which gives maximum 6 months for the president to decide whether or not to make such reports public.
Indeed, article 280 clause 3 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana states, “The President shall, subject to clause (4) of this article cause to be published the report of a commission of inquiry together with the White Paper on it within six months after the date of the submission of the report by the commission. And the clause 4 states, “Where the report of the commission is not to be published, the President shall issue a statement to that effect giving reasons why the report is not to be published.”
The Short Commission presented its report to the president on March 14, 2019 as already stated. Which means its only been 3 months and some days and so we are still within the 6 months maximum period which the 1992 constitution of Ghana gives the president to decide what to do with the report but the long silence is deafening. Is the president not done with perusing the report? Hasn’t he yet decided what to do with it? Why is it taking so long? What is causing the delay with this one if indeed he is a man in hurry as he says?
In 2015, it took President John Dramani Mahama almost 6 months to issue a white paper on the report of the commission of inquiry that probed the payment from public funds arising from judgement debts and akin matters when the report was submitted to him on May 20. But it took the same president only less than three months to issue a white paper on the report of the commission of inquiry (Dzamefe Committee) into matters relating to the participation of the Black Stars team in the World Cup tournament in Brazil 2014. In fact, the commission submitted its report to the president on March 30, 2015 and the president issued the white on June 1, 2015.
In 2002, the Wuaku Commission of Inquiry was set up to probe the disturbance that ensued in Yendi between March 25 and 27, 2002. When the commission presented its report to His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor on November 6, the report was made public on December 23. This was within a space of less than two months.
Within a period of four months, President Mills of blessed memory published the report of the Commission of Inquiry that investigated some issues relating to the Ghana @ 50 celebrations. The commission submitted its report to the president on December 23, 2009 and same was made public in April 2010.
Yes, the above cited cases are all different surrounding completely different circumstances but it gives an indication that such reports can be acted on as quickly as possible. The implementations of such reports may have had some deficiencies but making them public is part of the whole process. When is the Shot Commission report going to be acted on?
As of now, the vigilante bill is still pending in parliament for further deliberations. But honestly, I think the laws we already have on our books are enough to deal with the canker of vigilantism in this country. Our laws particularly the 1992 constitution conspicuously frowns on any kind of lawlessness. So, if we can’t use that to tear vigilantism into shreds, then what is the guarantee that the bill if passed into, will be enforced any better? Are we saying we need specific laws to deal with situations? The President says he is in hurry and even if it takes interfering in the work of the legislature to get the vigilantism bill passed into law, he would do so. But, is rushing a bill through parliament the answer to the vigilante menace in Ghana?
The Peace Council has also been engaging the two major political parties, NDC and NPP, all in search of the appropriate ways to disband political party vigilante groups.
Acting on the reports of the Short Commission I think has more than one edge. That report can help us apprehend the perpetrators of that particular violence and sanction them as required by law and also profess solutions to vigilantism. The former needs the 6 months period expiration but the latter doesn’t.
2020 general election is just some few months away. How do we ensure that the much-touted peace of Ghana is maintained?
A breached peace is a botched peace.
YUSSIF AHMED
ahmed.yussiph@gmail.com
I read a story on citinewsroom.com this morning suggesting that the National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party, Sammy Awuku has referred to the NDC’s demand for the immediate release of the report of the Emile Shot Commission of Inquiry as hypocritical. His basis being that the NDC said they would boycott the commission but now they are demanding for the release of their report. I wonder what you think about such comments and its justification.
Can you imagine all of Ernest Kofi Abotsi’s secretarial role to the Emile Shot’s Commission going waste? Well, I can’t. Just imagine all the hard pinch-punching, paralyzing and thought-provoking questions of Prof. Henrietta-Mensah Bonsu amounting to nothing. Well, if no detour is taken from the current trend of delay, over-politicization of every issue, these unimaginable imaginations will become our undesirable realities.
The Emile Short Commission of Inquiry was set up by President Akuffo Addo on February 6, 2019 to make inquiry into the unfortunate most condemned violence that characterised the January 31, 2019 bye-election of Ayawaso West Wuogon. The elections which was supposed to in a peaceful democratic manner find a replacement in parliament for the mentioned constituency because of the sudden passing of Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, turned bloody.
On Thursday, March 14, 2019, the commission presented its findings to the President of the republic after a month-long relentless questioning that made some people sweat under air-conditioned rooms. But, not much has been said or done about the findings of the report since then.
“The circumstances under which the unfortunate incident occurred might have proved somewhat difficult for others, but you did not hesitate to accept the assignment and the work that you have done has been in the public domain.
The whole country has seen the transparent nature of the proceedings and we have all followed it, obviously with great care and attention. I am happy that at long last it has come to an end.
We have a responsibility of ensuring the maintenance of law and order of our country, and that responsibility is not one which can be abdicated on any occasion”.
Those were some of the tongue rolling, ear sweetening and hope inspiring words of His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo when he received the report but that’s where it ended. Apparently, the commission heeded his call, didn’t shirk their responsibility but not much has been seen on the part of the president in the context of this report in terms of its implementation.
When the minority in parliament, the National Democratic Congress demanded the release of the report, even Sammy Awuku’s comment is the most recent, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is said to have responded on Starr FM saying that the government would not be rushed into publishing the said report. He quoted sections of the constitution which gives maximum 6 months for the president to decide whether or not to make such reports public.
Indeed, article 280 clause 3 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana states, “The President shall, subject to clause (4) of this article cause to be published the report of a commission of inquiry together with the White Paper on it within six months after the date of the submission of the report by the commission. And the clause 4 states, “Where the report of the commission is not to be published, the President shall issue a statement to that effect giving reasons why the report is not to be published.”
The Short Commission presented its report to the president on March 14, 2019 as already stated. Which means its only been 3 months and some days and so we are still within the 6 months maximum period which the 1992 constitution of Ghana gives the president to decide what to do with the report but the long silence is deafening. Is the president not done with perusing the report? Hasn’t he yet decided what to do with it? Why is it taking so long? What is causing the delay with this one if indeed he is a man in hurry as he says?
In 2015, it took President John Dramani Mahama almost 6 months to issue a white paper on the report of the commission of inquiry that probed the payment from public funds arising from judgement debts and akin matters when the report was submitted to him on May 20. But it took the same president only less than three months to issue a white paper on the report of the commission of inquiry (Dzamefe Committee) into matters relating to the participation of the Black Stars team in the World Cup tournament in Brazil 2014. In fact, the commission submitted its report to the president on March 30, 2015 and the president issued the white on June 1, 2015.
In 2002, the Wuaku Commission of Inquiry was set up to probe the disturbance that ensued in Yendi between March 25 and 27, 2002. When the commission presented its report to His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor on November 6, the report was made public on December 23. This was within a space of less than two months.
Within a period of four months, President Mills of blessed memory published the report of the Commission of Inquiry that investigated some issues relating to the Ghana @ 50 celebrations. The commission submitted its report to the president on December 23, 2009 and same was made public in April 2010.
Yes, the above cited cases are all different surrounding completely different circumstances but it gives an indication that such reports can be acted on as quickly as possible. The implementations of such reports may have had some deficiencies but making them public is part of the whole process. When is the Shot Commission report going to be acted on?
As of now, the vigilante bill is still pending in parliament for further deliberations. But honestly, I think the laws we already have on our books are enough to deal with the canker of vigilantism in this country. Our laws particularly the 1992 constitution conspicuously frowns on any kind of lawlessness. So, if we can’t use that to tear vigilantism into shreds, then what is the guarantee that the bill if passed into, will be enforced any better? Are we saying we need specific laws to deal with situations? The President says he is in hurry and even if it takes interfering in the work of the legislature to get the vigilantism bill passed into law, he would do so. But, is rushing a bill through parliament the answer to the vigilante menace in Ghana?
The Peace Council has also been engaging the two major political parties, NDC and NPP, all in search of the appropriate ways to disband political party vigilante groups.
Acting on the reports of the Short Commission I think has more than one edge. That report can help us apprehend the perpetrators of that particular violence and sanction them as required by law and also profess solutions to vigilantism. The former needs the 6 months period expiration but the latter doesn’t.
2020 general election is just some few months away. How do we ensure that the much-touted peace of Ghana is maintained?
A breached peace is a botched peace.
YUSSIF AHMED
ahmed.yussiph@gmail.com
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