NDC MPs want IGP sacked over election-related violence

The opposition party in Ghana’s parliament is pushing for the country’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong Boanuh to be dismissed for failing to guarantee the safety of Ghanaians in the just-ended polls.

For Ranking Member on Defence and Interior and NDC MP for Builsa South James Agalga, their demand follows pockets of violence that characterised the elections leading to loss of lives.

Official figures show that six persons have so far perished due to violence during the 2020 general elections.

There were 61 recorded cases of electoral and post-electoral violence across the country.

Twenty-one of the incidents were true cases of electoral violence, six of which involved gunshots, according to the police.

Mr. Agalga insists the IGP failed to live up to his responsibilities as the Inspector General of Police.

“The IGP appeared before us (Parliament) and assured us that he was the chairman of the Election Security Taskforce. I remember clearly how the Minority Leader, Haruna Idrissu made it known to him that should anything go wrong, the Minority was going to hold him accountable for any breaches”, Mr Agalga said during an interview with the CNR.

He continued: “Now five people were killed. His men targeted innocent citizens, unarmed civilians and fired at them, and he is still the at post…if I were him, I would have the honourable thing by resigning but if he wouldn’t do so, he should be immediately dismissed.”

Meanwhile, the government insists security personnel were not at fault for the violent incidents.

The Interior Minister Ambrose Dery said: “The security operatives, did what they did within the standard operating procedures, and it would be recalled that even in any case there is injury or death, unfortunately, there are investigations.”

“I can assure you that the security personnel have been really good and we can all attest to it that this election has been the most violence-free. But we also urge security agencies to live up to their expectations and standards”, he posited.

Source: Daily Mail GH

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