A 28-year old young man Steven Kwame Nsia has been left paralyzed waist down after he fell victim to alleged police and military brutalities at Foase in the Atwima Nwabeagya district of the Ashanti region on February 7, 2018.
The security detail was deployed to the town when some residents of Foase went on rampage locking up the District Chief Executive Okyere Tawiah over controversies surrounding the planned implementation of a court order to relocate the district capital from Foase to Twedie.
Three of the residents died on the spot with another dying later on at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Nsia now bedridden, was shot twice in his back fleeing fire opened by armed security operatives deployed to foil the rioting.
This dealt a big blow to his spine and has left him unable to sit, stand, walk or even control urine and stool.
Nsia who has been left in his sorry state told Ultimate News he was only caught in the rioting while running an errand for his church where he served as Secretary and had nothing to do with the rioting that resulted in the shooting.
He recounted, “I was called by my church because I am the church secretary; to come pay a tipper truck which brought stones to the church site. When I got there, I heard some noise so my friend and I decided to get closer. Suddenly a Tundra pickup truck pulled up with armed men who began shooting indiscriminately. I dashed into a house close by. They shot me twice. One through my back and one which hit me in my spine. I didn’t see anything else till I woke up at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.”
Kwame told reporter Ivan Heathcote Fumador he sometimes wishes he would rather die than remain paralyzed and in pain.
Speaking in tears he admitted that, “I sometimes pray; if God is going to leave me paralyzed he should call me home because I will be in a better place. If he will heal me as his word says; then he shouldn’t abandon me here for long.”
“In the past five months, I have been really suffering. I am stuck helpless in this bed. I cannot even turn on my own without help from my relatives. Apart from that, I am in agonizing pain. I cannot feel myself from my waist down. I feel numb and my senses are all lost,” he added.
His brother Elisha Kofi Asante, a farmer who saw him through school laments he has already spent over GhS40, 000 on Nsia’s medical care.
He is the more angered a government committee set up to investigate the incident has not shown any concern about the plight of his brother.
“He had not gone rioting, and he wasn’t threatening anyone. He was just shot by the security personnel. We would have expected that leaders in government would even come here to visit and support us financially or give us some words of motivation. He relies on me for everything – feeding, bathing to passing out urine and stool. I could have gone to my farm to work for some income but I cannot do that now. When the committee called us to give an account, we had spent about GhS35,000 already and afterwards I have spent over GhS 5000 on him. I buy a pack of bottled water and diapers every week for him”
The Foase town set up its own committee to help the government’s committee get to the bottom of the issues.
A secretary to the team Jacob Amankwah told Ultimate News they are awaiting government’s response after they presented their submissions.
He, however, pointed out that government’s silence on getting to the bottom of the matter was also affecting the families of the four who died through the shooting and beatings as they cannot bury their dead until the investigations are done.
He pointed out that, “It is unfortunate four people would die from this needless situation. These are able youth capable of fending for their families.”
Recounting some of the incidents recorded at the committee sittings, he outlined that some 32 people also sustained gunshot wounds. The police also allegedly beat up people mercilessly. Even the unit committee chairman of foase was beaten.
“There is this guy who is now using clutches because he was shot in the leg. My own sister still has bullet pellets in her arm.”
Meanwhile, the town folks of Fuase contend they are awaiting a promise given by the Ashanti regional minister Simon Osei Mensa that government was committed to paying medical bills of the victims.
The police have refused to comment on the situation.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
