Brigadier George Ayiku, General Officer Commanding the Northern Command, on Wednesday commended soldiers of the Fourth Infantry Brigade (4N) for not beating up any civilian last year.

Speaking at the Annual WASSA get-together of the 4BN in Kumasi, he said no case of a soldier brutalising or molesting a civilian was recorded last year.

He called for more civic action programmes from the Battalion this year to further strengthen the cordial relationship with their civilian brothers and sisters.

He asked Ghanaians to see soldiers as brothers and friends whose business was to protect the society and ensure the economic and social development of the country. Brigadier Ayiku said the military would, however, not allow acts of lawlessness, ethnic clashes such as the Bawku conflict, civil unrest and other acts to undermine the peace and stability of the country.

The Armed Forces is owned by Ghanaians and, therefore, needs the support of the public to rid the country of undesirable elements, he said.

Brigadier Ayiku commended the Battalion for the maintenance of peace, security, stability law and order in Ashanti through the conduct of effective operations to stop crime and other anti-social activities that undermined the orderly economic growth of the country.

He reiterated that the Military would defend democracy at all corridors, support and assist vital state institutions to ensure the maintenance of democracy in the country.

Lieutenant-Colonel George Biah, Commanding Officer of the Fourth Battalion of Infantry, said the Unit would rededicate itself to their professional duties and continue to co-operate with sister security services in the region while their loyalty to the government and people of Ghana remained unshaken.