The Association of Concerned Ghanaians in Europe (ACGIE) registers it concern and apprehension at the shooting of peaceful demonstrators by some officers of the Ghana Police Service in the Brong Ahafo Regional capital on Thursday July 24 2014.

ACGIE wishes to state in clear and unequivocal terms that the excessive and disproportionate use of force by the personnel of the Police Service on against our fellow Ghanaians who were simply exercising their legitimate constitutional right is totally unacceptable and must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians.

Clearly, the action and conduct of these trigger-happy police officers cannot in anyway be justified despite all the strenuous and desperate attempts to rationalise and justify this act of police brutality against unarmed civilians.
It must be pointed out, first and foremost, that the protest was peaceful and devoid of any acts of violence to warrant such heavy-handedness on the part of the Police officers. Secondly, the demonstrators were not bearing arms of any sort and as such they did not pose the slightest threat either to the police personnel or national security. In this respect and like most Ghanaians, ACGIE is convinced that the shooting was uncalled for and to some extent a deliberate act of provocation aimed at instilling fear into the Ghanaian populace.
After more than two decades of multi-party politics and democratic governance one would have thought that the Ghana Police Service would reorient their thoughts and actions to align with the new political dispensation and reality. Unfortunately, in recent times some personnel of the Ghana Police Service have acted as if they were law unto themselves and got away with such acts of impunity.

Perhaps, we need to remind all personnel of the Ghana Police Service that their first allegiance is to the people of Ghana and their first duty is to protect life and property and not to kill and maim Ghanaians as was witnessed on the streets of Sunyani.

Finally, ACGIE calls for a bi-partisan committee of inquiry to investigate the Sunyani shooting incident so as to bring the perpetrators to justice. Injustice anywhere it is said, is a threat to justice everywhere and the demonstrators who have been shot during the peaceful demonstration demand and indeed deserve justice.

Signed
Kwaku Anane-Gyinde
Secretary
ACGIE