Minister for Interior Summons to Brief Parliament over Gun Shooting Incident at Sege Constituency
Parliament has summoned the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, to provide a briefing to the House on the shooting incident at Sege in the Greater Accra Region, which resulted in the death of one person.
One person was killed and numerous others were injured in a shooting incident in Toflokpo that was caused by a conflict between Ada villagers and the salt mining company Electrochem Ghana.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei Owusu said that the Interior Minister must come before the house in the first week of December to brief the house on the situation, following a statement made by the local member of parliament denouncing the occurrence.
“I shall order the Interior Minister to brief the House on the incident, the circumstances surrounding the violence, and who fired into the crowd—the security personnel, the police, or the private company.
“We will provide the appropriate direction if the Committee of Defence and Interior needs to investigate further after that briefing,” he said.
The Speaker directive followed a statement made on the floor by the Member of Parliament for Sege Constituency, Hon Christian Corletey Otuteye.
Full Statement Below
STATEMENT BY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SEGE CONSTITUENCY, HON CHRISTIAN CORLETEY OTUTEYE ON THE VIOLENCE ATTACK ON SMALL SCALE SALT WINNERS IN TOFLOKPO COMMUNITY
Thank you, Rt Hon Speaker, for the opportunity to make this very important statement on the disturbing violence attack on my constituents on Monday, November 6, 2023.
Mr Speaker, I must say, I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent attacks on the small-scale salt Winners along the Songor lagon enclave in my constituency.
It is extremely alarming that these hardworking individuals, who are simply trying to make a living, have become targets of violence.
Mr Speaker, the reports I received indicated that, the residents were in their designated salt wining sites, a long held source of livelihood since 1960’s and all of a sudden a team of young men from Electrochem company and a police patrol team appeared at the scene and tried to cease their working tools which resulted into firing of gun shots killing of one person.
The day of the incident, I together with the regional police commander and his team visited the community and had a meeting with the chiefs and traditional leaders to assure them of their safety before proceeding together with the chiefs to the scene where the person was killed.
But, Mr Speaker this raises serious concerns about the safety and security of our local communities.
This is becoming unbecoming, as residents allege that this is happening because of ElectroChem’s presence and operation in the area.
Notwithstanding, I strongly condemn this act of violence which has become a national security threat to live and property in my constituency.
I urge the Inspector General of Police and the police services to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book no matter how powerful and connected they are.
It is crucial that the perpetrators are brought to justice and held accountable for their actions. The families of those affected deserve justice and assurance that such incidents will not be repeated in the future.
While calling upon the youth and residents to remain calm, I also plead with the Police Command to provide adequate protection and support to the communities, especially the salt winners of the communities and the entire Ada enclave.
The salt Winners play vital roles in our local economy and should not have to live in fear while carrying out their work.
Mr Speaker, I further call upon this House to refer this unfortunate incident to the Defence and Interior Committee to probe these endless brutalities and make its findings known to this House.
It is essential that we create an environment where every citizen can feel safe and secure.
Mr Speaker, I therefore take this opportunity again to express my condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and extend my support to all those affected by this tragic incident.
Let us stand together in demanding justice and ensuring the safety of our people.
Thank you, Rt Hon Speaker for the opportunity
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