Regional News of Sunday, 16 March 2003

Source: .

NRC Zonal Office receives 902 complaints

The Ashanti and Eastern Zonal Office of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) has received a total of 902 complaints of human rights abuses.

Mr Sampson Amofa-Kra, the Zonal Manager of the Commission, who made this known, called on people who still have complaints to file on time to enable thorough investigations to be made.

He was speaking during a two-day outreach programme organised by the Commission in the Adansi West District at Obuasi to receive statements from victims of human rights abuse who could not travel to Kumasi to lodge their complaints.

In all, 21 people whose rights were trampled upon by past governments, officials and public institutions gave statements to the Commission.

Six of them did so on the first day while the remaining 15 presented their cases on the second day.

Mr Amofa-Kra appealed to the media to intensify its public education on the work of the Commission to encourage all those who were at the receiving end of human rights violations to come forward and be part of the national 'healing process'.

He expressed appreciation to the Adansi West District Assembly and Shaft FM, a local radio station, for what he said was their tremendous support for the Commission's outreach programme.