Wa, July 16, GNA – Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, the Overlord of the Wala Traditional Area, has stated that Ghana cannot be seen as a failed state despite the few challenges being experienced.
“If for nothing at all, we have institutions that are working and Parliament is a classical example,” he said.
Wa Naa Pelpuo IV stated this when the Defence and Interior Sub-Committee of Parliament led by its Chairman, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, called on him at his palace in Wa during a fact finding mission on the recent military brutality in the area.
He said the people were saddened by the incident but found it necessary to forgive, following the actions taken so far by the government and the Military High Command.
« Also, the coming of the Defence and Interior Sub-Committee to carry out the fact-finding exercise on the issue had again given us some sense of hope that one could always go to bed and have a sound sleep knowing that the institutions would always be there to rise to the occasion, » he said.
“This action by Parliament has assured us that the long-standing relations between the people of the region and the military over the years will continue to exist and our peace and security will continue to be protected,” Wa Naa Pelpuo IV added.
He expressed hope that the investigations by Parliament in the end would result in very key decisions being taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur in Wa or other parts of the country.
Wa Naa Pelpuo IV has, therefore, blessed the work of the committee and wished them a successful exercise in the end.
The chairman of the Committee, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, noted that the Committee was charged by the Speaker of Parliament to come and investigate what happened on July 1, 2021, between the military and the civilians to enable an informed action.
He said members of the committee, therefore, found it necessary to call on the Wa Naa to plead for forgiveness for the military and the country.
Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, assured the Committee that whatever information they needed from the Regional Security Council would be readily provided.
“The people of the region are anxious. They want to know exactly what happened,” he said.
Dr Bin Salih noted that the Military High Command and the police were equally carrying out separate investigations and expressed the hope that when Parliament’s own was concluded, the three reports would be put together and those found culpable dealt with.
“There’s no way anybody can be covered,” the Regional Minister assured.
Meanwhile, the Military High Command had already issued out sanctions in the form of demotions, transfers and detentions to 86 culprits of the July 1, 2021 incident.
