THE Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, has ordered that anybody arrested in connection with the weekend’s disturbances in Tamale and Gushiegu should be sent to Accra for screening and prosecution.
According to the minister, who gave the order yesterday, all perpetrators behind the recent mayhem would face the full rigours of the law, irrespective of their ethnic or political affiliation.
He also gave the firm assurance that the government would institute thorough investigations into the disturbances, which claimed three lives and left in its wake massive destruction of property.
The minister was speaking in Tamale at a meeting with political party representatives and religious and opinion leaders, which was also attended by Members of Parliament for Tamale South and North, Mr Haruna Iddrisu and Alhaji Abubakari Sumani respectively.
The minister’s delegation included the Ministers of Defence and Information and National Orientation, Albert Kan Dapaah and Asamoah Boateng.
Also included were the National Security Coordinator, Dr Sam Amoo, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Elizabeth Mills Robertson and some Service Commanders.
Dr Addo-Kufuor expressed shock over the incidents, especially following in the heels of the recent voters registration exercise that recorded some violent scenes in the Tamale metropolis.
‘‘Ghana has come a long way in its development process and it is important that the peace and unity of the country is protected,’’ he indicated, adding that, ‘‘instability and conflicts would erode all the gains made’’.
The minister observed that the general impression of massive numbers of firearms in the hands of private persons, to some extent, was responsible for the instability in the Northern Region.
He therefore appealed to the people to assist the security agencies to retrieve the illegal firearms and to cooperate with the regional peace council to ensure sustainable peace in the region and the country in general.
Dr Addo-Kufour, however, gave a firm indication that ‘‘the government would like to assure the nation that it will take the necessary steps to ensure there is respect for law and order, and that the security and general well-being of the Ghanaian people are protected”.
The minister further stated that the government would strive to ensure that the forthcoming general elections would be conducted in a free, fair and transparent atmosphere.
He affirmed that the sovereign will of the people, regardless of who wins the general elections, would be respected.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, expressed worry that the weekend violence could be ‘‘the beginning of terrible things to come, if the right decisions were not taken’’.
He entreated the people to always resort to modern tools of engagement through dialogue instead of engaging in violent acts at the least provocation.
The minister admonished religious leaders not to relent in their efforts at showing goodwill and offering prayers for sustainable peace, which, he said, the region was in dire need of.
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