Members of the Ejura committee
•The Ejura Committee submitted its report to the Minister of Interior on Tuesday, July 28, 2021
•Excerpts of the committee’s report is making the rounds on various media platform with the biggest news being a recommendation for the dismissal of the Ejura MCE
•The committee also recommended punishment for the commander of the military men that stormed the town
Following the melee that culminated in the shooting of six and death of two at Ejura in the Ashanti Region, a three-member committee of inquiry was set up by the Minister of Interior to probe the underlying issues.
After 22 witnesses, 555 pictures in soft copies, 117 videos evidence, eight documentary evidence, two written statements and two physical evidence, the committee chaired by Appeals Court judge, Justice George Kingsley Koomson concluded its investigation on July 16, 2021.
The committee on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 presented its recommendations to Ambrose Dery, the Minister of Interior.
Reports from some media outlets details some of the recommendations by the committee and GhanaWeb highlights five of those recommendations.
Sack MCE Ejura committee
The committee recommended the dismissal of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Mohammed Salisu Bamba.
Interestingly however the MCE has already withdrawn interest in being retained in the the position and is now in acting capacity till the president makes substantive appointment.
Compensation for injured victims and families of two who died
Two persons died in the incident and four others sustain various degrees of injuries. During the testimony, a mother of one of the victims disclosed that her son had lost one of his legs after being shot by the armed police and military personnel.
The committee recommends some compensation be paid to the victims.
Transfer of Ejura District Police Officer
Ejura District Police Commander, DSP Philip Hammond was one of the 22 witnesses that appeared before the committee.
He defended his innocence and stated that the he made a call for police reinforcement and not military reinforcement.
His testimony appears not to have satisfied the committee members who have recommended his transfer.
Sanction the military commander
The identity of the commander who led military officers that arrived to quell the protests is yet to be known but the committee recommends that he faces sanctions for how he commandeered his forces in Ejura.
Upgrade Ejura Police station
The committee made a case for the upgrading of the Ejura police station and expansion of same. They also recommend the building of a community centre for the Ejura community.