Political science professor and good governance advocate Ransford Gyampo said people need to be educated to refrain from attacking security personnel.
Prof. Gyampo reiterated that security personnel, especially the military, are trained to eliminate external invaders rather than maintain peace and order (the police’s speciality).
He expressed serious concern over the actions of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate (PC) for Amenfi East Constituency, Ernest Frimpong, who was arrested for allegedly inciting small-scale miners to attack security personnel who had visited the mining site in an attempt to stop them from extracting material.
Professor Gyampo was also uncomfortable with human rights lawyers and activists who defended civilians when the military retaliated against attacks on officers.
“If parliamentary candidates are calling on people to attack soldiers whose mission is not to maintain peace but to devour external invaders, what do we expect from them when the people start attacking them,” Prof Gyampo said during a debate on the fight against ‘galamsey’ on Saturday, June 15. Key Points On TV3.
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“I am unhappy that we have allowed the idea to take root in the minds of many Ghanaians that if you behave inappropriately towards a soldier, human rights lawyers will step in and say the soldier has no right to fight back,” he added.
He argued that activists should instead focus their efforts on highlighting and deepening the consequences of attacking law enforcement officials, adding that no one has the right to attack security personnel.
Prof. Gyampo further stressed that President Akufo-Addo should have punished the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, for comments made by the NPP PC in his presence.
But the parliamentary candidate said his comments were not an endorsement of illegal mining or encouraging miners to fight alongside soldiers.
He said his comments were taken out of context during a two-hour discussion with small-scale artisanal miners and stressed that his intentions had been misrepresented.
But Prof Gyampo said: “If I were the president I would say that sanctions should be given to bystanders, even ministers, but the president has done nothing.”
Meanwhile, Frimpong was arrested by police for questioning and was released on bail on Wednesday, June 12.
Amenfi East Municipality chief executive Frederick Korankye described Frimpong’s comments as “unfortunate”.