Security analyst, has rebuked politicians for misapplying the mandate of the military and getting them involved in political activities, insisting it is dangerous for the security of the country.
Speaking in the wake of the military raid at Ashaiman, following the murder of a military officer, Trooper Sherrif Imoro, the respected Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd), said that last week’s incident was manifestation of the misapplication of the military by the state, adding the political class is undermining democracy”.
He bemoaned the rate at which the state has been abusing the use of military officers, citing instances such as Ayawaso West Wuogon, Ejura, the invasion of Parliament on January 6, 2021 among others, which is against the tenets of the military, insisting it was only a matter of time that those institutions will also “misapply their mandate”.
Colonel Aboagye, questioned why till date, one body has had the decency to admit to ordering the military to invade Parliament during the voting of a new Speaker of Parliament in January 2021.
He described as wrong the situation where military officers are sent during elections to man voting areas adding that such activities are not the core functions of the military.
Colonel Aboagye, also cited the invasion of part of Volta Region by Western Togoland force as a hoax, saying it was done as a ploy to deploy soldiers ahead of the 2020 election.
Speaking on the Big Issue on Citi TV with Selorm Adonoo, the security analyst said, perpetrators of the crime are the least to be indicted. He blamed the political class for such issues.
“We know what the role of the military is. It is prescribed in our constitution article 210, 215 and so on. The Armed Forces psych 105 and so on. But that is not what the control and management of the Armed Forces should be about. My argument is that, in a short span of time, just about three years, we have seen an ascendency of the state of Ghana, misapplying the Ghana Armed Forces. One, let’s go to Ayawaso Wuogon on 31st January 2019. This is a classic example of how the state abuses human rights.
“Secondly, let’s go to voter registration, and how the state misapplied men and women in uniform i.e. the military. To go supersivse elections which is not their function. We have created the scenario that there is something called the election management team and the military should be part of it. Yet they have not clearly defined what role of the military should play. That is another example.
“Let’s go to 6-7 January 2021, during the transition of authority from one administration to another albeit the same party, who ordered the Ghana Armed Forces to enter the House of Parliament? Till today, nobody in the government. He had the moral courage and the decency to come out and say I Obimtim or Asimesi, ordered the military to go to there”.
“My argument is that when the state misapplies the GAF for that matter, the military and other security institutions, it’s only a matter of time before those institutions will misapply their mandate and that is what we saw at Ashaiman. The criminals are the least to be indicted.
“We go full circle and come back to who controls GAF. The mobilisation of helicopters, armoured vehicles and troops is not the way any military should behave in a democracy. Even if the politicians were right, I contest. Squarely, the blame must be placed at the doorsteps of the political class. A lot of our men and women who are politicians don’t understand the tenets of the military. The political class is undermining democracy,” Retired Colonel Aboagye said.
He slammed the state for failing to define the role of the military.
“The failure of the state also lies in the failure of governance in clearly defining the role of the military in a democracy. The role of the military is prescribed in our constitution, but that is not what the control and management of the Armed Forces should be about.
“Let’s go to voter registration and how the state misapplied men and women in uniform where they sent the military to go and supervise elections which are not their function. Let’s go to Ejura, the state again misapplied the Ghana Armed Forces in dealing with an event which was squarely the remit of the Ghana police. Let’s go to 2021, transition of authority from one administration to the other. Who ordered GAF to enter Parliament, till today nobody in government has had the moral courage and the decency to say he/she ordered the military there”.
He opined that the security apparatus of the country is strengthened to avoid future occurrences.
“The earlier we strengthen national security architecture, police, military and other security institutions, the better,” he said.
Military personnel stormed Ashaiman on Tuesday dawn March 7, 2023, with helicopters and armoured vehicles, to brutalise civilians following the murder of the military officer, Trooper Sherriff Imoro, who was allegedly stabbed in the town on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Some innocent residents were lined up and beaten to a pulp as the town became what residents described as a ‘ghost’ area.
The soldier, according to sources, was from Taifa and heading toward his residence at Zongo-Laka in Ashaiman when the unfortunate incident occurred.
Imoro Sherif who was found dead in a pool of blood near the Amania Hotel in Ashaiman was laid to rest on March 9.
Though he was carrying a laptop and other electronic gadgets the attackers made away with only his iPhone.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in a statement justified the brutalities adding that the raid was not to avenge the death of the soldier but to fish out perpetrators of heinous crimes.
GAF announced that its high command sanctioned the swoop. The military during the swoop arrested 184 suspects, but they were all later released by the military.
The Police after a week of sustained intelligence-led operation arrested the key suspects involved in the murder of Imoro Sherrif.
The arrest was solely police intelligence work without the involvement of the military.
In the case of Western Togoland, ahead of the 2020 election, a group calling itself Homeland Study Group demanded the Volta, Oti, and parts of the Upper East Region to be made an autonomous country to be known as Western Togoland. Some members of the separatist group were accused of causing mayhem in the Volta, arrested and later charged with treason, felony, conspiracy to commit crime amongst others.
The Retired Colonel, rubbished reports that some terrorists attempted to invade Ghana.
“This hoax about Western Togoland, terrorists invading Ghana was a ploy. In the process, the Ghana Armed Forces were deployed and casualties occurred. People were arrested, and we saw them in the media. As of now, can any journalist tell us where those arrested persons are? What has been the outcome of that event?” he asked.
The group made a number of attempts to push its agenda. In 2020, the group blocked some major roads that connected the Volta Region to Ghana’s capital city, Accra.
Members of the separatist group even declared independence for the imaginary Western Togoland country on May 9, 2019.
In October 2020, the government of Ghana arraigned 78 of the alleged separatists suspected to be behind the violent attacks in the Volta Region.
They were charged, variously, with; treason felony, conspiracy to commit crime, namely, treason felony, conspiracy to commit crime, namely, participating in a campaign of prohibited organization namely Western Togoland, conspiracy to commit crime, namely, causing unlawful damage.
The activities of the group sparked some other incidents in the region including a raid by some secessionists on the Aveyime and Mepe police stations which led to the release of cell inmates and the theft of 10 assault rifles.
Police officers were also injured in the ensuing confrontations, whilst two persons were killed. Security personnel also said they foiled a plan by the group to burn down the Ho Central Market and other key installations. The Homeland Study Group Foundation, however, denied any involvement in the violent incidents.
