Pass vote of censure on Bryan Acheampong to compel President to sack him – Lawyer to Parliament

General News of Sunday, 10 February 2019

Source: kasapafmonline.com

A renowned private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has urged Parliament to pass a vote of censure on Minister of State-in-charge of National Security, Bryan Acheampong to compel President Akufo Addo to dismiss him over the Ayawaso West Wuogo by-election violence.

Mr Acheampong has owned up to deploying the masked armed men said to be operatives of the National Security who rained violence on innocent citizens during the by-election which saw six people being shot.

The Minister has justified the actions of the security personnel.

Speaking on News File show, Mr Martin Kpebu said the Minister’s action has brought disgrace to Ghana on the international scene and must be sacked from office.

“As a first step he should resign, we’ve had some cases of people resigning even in this particular government you remember deputy Minister of Agric, Quaitoo resigned. So he should do the honourable thing, if he doesn’t I think Article 82, Parliament has the right to do a vote of censure that the President should remove the Minister of State, …so they should activate that. Article 82 is there for them, I think we should do that.

He added: “Looking at it, this is such a disgrace to us and he’s embarrassed the nation by undertaking such an open show of illegal force so he should take the fall and then we see what the Commission of Inquiry says about that conduct.”

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has set up a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate the Ayawaso-West-Wuogon by-election violence.

The Commission is composed of: Mr. Justice Emile Short – Chairperson, Mrs. Henrietta Mensah Bonsu – Member, Mr. Patrick K. Acheampong – Member.

Mr. Ernest Kofi Abotsi, former Dean of the Faculty of Law of GIMPA and private legal practitioner, has been appointed as Secretary to the Commission.

The terms of reference of the Commission are:
(a) to make a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of, and establish the facts leading to, the events and associated violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon By-Election on the 31st day of January 2019;

(b) to identify any person responsible for or who has been involved in the events, associated violence and injuries;

(c) to inquire into any matter which the Commission considers incidental or reasonably related to the causes of the events and the associated violence and injuries; and

(d) to submit within one month its report to the President giving reasons for its findings and recommendations, including appropriate sanctions, if any.