General News of Monday, 17 February 2003

Source: gna

Attorney-General commends security services

Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, Attorney General and Minister of Justice has commended the security services in the Northern Region for maintaining peace and security in Dagbon.

He noted that in spite of the trying circumstances in which the personnel of the security services work, they have been able to ensure that the people abide by the rule of law and order in the area.

Nana Akuffo-Addo was addressing a durbar of State Attorneys and members of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) drawn from the Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions in Tamale on Monday.

The Minister, who was accompanied by his deputy, Mrs Gloria Akuffo, warned that anybody who would foment trouble in Dagbon would be made to face the law squarely, adding that it is not in the interest of anybody that the state of emergency should continue to be enforced in Dagbon.

He said investments needed to develop the area would not come if the current state of insecurity persisted.

Nana Akuffo-Addo said government was particularly concerned about the spate of armed robbery in the country and gave the assurance that measures would be in place to ensure the speedy trial of the robbers to allow law-abiding citizens to go about their legitimate duties peacefully.

Mr Issah Ketekewu, Deputy Northern Regional Minister said the Regional Co-ordinating Council would encourage District Assemblies to contribute their quota towards the maintenance of peace in the region.

He said the ability of the Regional Security Council to address issues of potential threat to peace depended largely on the co-operation of the Attorney-General's Department, the police and the courts.

The Deputy Regional Minister said the judicial system in the region had for sometime now, suffered a myriad of problems to the extent that until recently, only the courts in Tamale operated.

He however, noted that during the past year, strides made in terms of resourcing the police and posting of magistrates to man the courts in the districts, has brought some hope to law-abiding citizens.

Nana Akuffo-Addo later presented computers, photocopiers and accessories to the Wa, Bolgatanga, Tamale, Sunyani and Kumasi offices to facilitate their work.