The Small Arms Commission of Ghana has expressed satisfaction after news that arms that were taken from soldiers in Dome Faase have been retrieved. Meanwhile, the commission has sounded a caution to Ghanaians to desist from involving arms when expressing their grievances.
In an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, Senior Programs Officer of the Small Arms Commission, Leonard Tettey advised: “We have lawful ways of showing your grievances. If someone should intimidate you, there is a lawful way to handle it. If you feel the soldiers intimidate you, there are guidelines in the service that can help you make any case against any soldier. The law doesn’t allow people to take the law into their own hands and assault people, no matter the person’s status as a civilian or a military person”.
Leonard was baffled at how people could attack security personnel who were mandated to protect them. He noted that such a phenomenon was “worrying”. He thus stressed that “we must opt for peaceful means of resolving our issues than resorting to the use of weapons”.
“We are pleading with them to go through lawful means in raising their concerns”, he counselled.
Dome Faase Violence
Earlier this week, it was reported that some residents of Dome Faase near Obom in the Greater Accra Region had assaulted some soldiers over a piece of land in the area.
According to the spokesman for the residents, there have been rumors of armed land guards working with military personnel to terrorize their communities.
One of the soldiers who identified himself as Clement Asare-Addo said warning shots had been fired with the hope of dispersing the agitated residents. However, this backfired as the residents descended on them.
He added that even after explaining to the leader of the group that they were not criminals, the group simply would not listen to reason and proceeded to beat him and his colleague up. The civilians also seized their guns during the scuffle.
This incident was followed by armed military men storming the area, turning the area into a ghost town after some residents deserted the area.
Reports have it that the soldiers have left the town after retrieving their seized guns.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Interior, Major (Rtd) Derrick Oduro, has confirmed that over 50 irate youth of Dome Faase near Obom in the Greater Accra region, accused of assaulting two soldiers over a piece of land in the area, have been arrested.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
