THE National Reconciliation Commission has begun sitting for public hearings of statements of victims and witnesses at the GNAT Hall in Kumasi.

The NRC will sit for two weeks and about 53 cases have been listed for hearing. Those expected to appear before the commission are the Lord is My Shepherd Church of the late Odiyifo Asare who and his entire congregation were subjected to severe human right abuses by agents of the revolution.

Others are Nana Frimpomaa II, Silas Ampaw, Kwaku Oti and Augustina Dankwa. In all 30 cases would be heard in the first week from the 6 to the 9 of May with the remaining 23 cases being heard from the 12 to the 16 of May.

From the Kumasi Zone which also comprises the Eastern Region the NRC was expected to have moved to the Tamale Zone which caters for the three northern regions but recent political violence has compelled the NRC to revise its notes.

Briefing the press here on Monday the Executive Secretary of the NRC Dr. Ken Attafuah called on the media to be professional in their reportage to ensure that the objectives of the exercise are achieved.

He urged them to study the reports of their colleagues in Accra who reported on the workings of the NRC and strive to improve upon them. The Executive Secretary said the cases slated for hearing are those, which have, been thoroughly investigated by investigators and are ready for public hearings.

The Director of Public Affairs of the NRC, Miss Anipa Annie noted that the reports of the media would serve as a historical reference point for future generations and therefore charged journalists to be circumspect at all times.

She said it is not all the petitions filed by victims and witnesses at the Kumasi Zone that can be heard within the two-week period and added that the other cases could be heard at the NRC’s sittings in Accra.