The Nzema youth have called for the President to set up a Commission of Enquiry to probe the shooting incident that happened at the forecourt of the Nkroful Magistrate Court, which left one person killed and four others critically injured.
They are demanding justice for Andrews Donkor, a native of Teleku-Bokazo, who was shot and killed by a soldier and the injured persons.
This was at a joint press conference organized by the Nzema Koyele Eku, Sharp Africa and Teleku-Bokazo Youth Association at Teleku-Bokazo in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
Mr Clement Clinton Blay, Executive Director of Sharp, said they found it deeply troubling that the IGP during his fact-finding mission to the area, showed no concern for the lives lost and the life-threatening injuries suffered by the four persons.
He was only interested in the damage caused to the Esiama Police Station, something they find unfortunate.
“We trust the IGP for his highly earned reputation and therefore call on him to listen to both sides of the story and review his comments for a peaceful conflict resolution without prejudice.”
A soldier shot into a group of young people, who had gathered at the forecourt of the Nkroful Magistrate Court to show solidarity with 40 illegal small-scale miners arrested for allegedly entering the mining concession of Adamus Resources Company, to dig for gold on Friday, April 01.
The youth were said to have protested when one of the security officers, a soldier, started taking video of them, resulting in a scuffle and subsequent firing into the crowd.
Mr Blay said the IGP’s visit did not help matters, the IGP’s visit instead of bringing calm and restoring peace, added “salt to the injury of the people” than to calm them and restore peace”.
He added that “ever since Adamus Resources Company started its mining activities at Teleku-Bokazo and Anwia communities, the people have never known peace and they have also been deprived of their source of livelihood.”
He spoke of litany of brutalities perpetrated by security personnel engaged by the mining company some of which ended in fatalities.
He made a reference to an incident that happened on December 22, 2021, when one Michael Dery alias Budu, a 27-year old physically challenged person was doused in petrol and set on fire by the security personnel of the company.”
They could not understand why the people of Teleku-Bokazo should continue to be brutalized and treated as slaves in their own land.
They said the investigation by the Commission should also kill Michael Dery, the damages at Esiama Police Station and all other brutalities meted out to the people.
“We wish to state that one institution, the Ghana Police Service, cannot be a player and a referee. We believe that the Commission of Enquiry will take a neutral position and ensure that there if justice.”
