The Eastern Regional National Security Liaison Officer, Francis Annor Dompreh, has expressed deep concern over the surge in reported wilful murder cases across the region describing the situation as worisom.
According to him, cases of individuals killing others over minor provocation- sometimes using guns, knives or cutlasses have gone alarmingly high in recent times.
Mr. Francis Annor Dompreh, who paid a courtesy call on the Okyehene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin on Tuesday, at his Ofori Panin Fie Palace together with his two deputies; Alhaji Sumaila Mahama and Abubakar Sadique, said the spike in murder cases has now become a major security threat requiring urgent collaborative action.
He said the Regional Security Council is assessing and analysing the trend to understand what is fueling the crime to coordinated solution to curb it.
“We had a REGSEC meeting recently and the new trend, there have been murder cases, but it is not as rampant as we are witnessing now. Because with a little provocation, somebody takes gun then fires, with a little provocation, somebody takes a knife or cutlass to slash the throat of a fellow human being, a thief, he or she is an animal”.
He added, “It keeps going on. Almost every week, you experience this. And it wasn’t the case, but in recent times, it’s becoming too much and sometimes, it’s difficult to predict whether somebody walking is going to kill somebody. So, it’s become a difficult thing for the security agencies too… Because there are other security issues that the security agencies can preempt and prevent it from happening.”
He however advised the youth to be patience whenever provocated and desist from resorting to violence actions.
Francis Annor Dompreh disclosed to Okyehene that the region is battling multiple security threats including illegal mining, rampant land disputes, sand winning, “land guard” activities and escalating chieftaincy conflicts, most of which fall within the Akyem traditional area hence appealed to him to help address the them.
Responding to the concerns, Okyehene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin attributed the rising murder cases and other crimes to moral decay and criminality associated with illegal mining (galamsey).
“These increasing murder cases are not Ghanaian. They came with the galamsey menace,” the Okyehene stated. “Illegal mining has brought a lot of immoral and criminal activities into our society.”
He explained that galamsey hubs have become breeding grounds for violence, lawlessness and the infiltration of foreigners who arm and embolden local miners.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin revealed that even his own fleet of vehicles was once attacked with stones by illegal miners, demonstrating the level of audacity and lawlessness festering in mining communities.
The Okyehene emphasised that curbing crime and illegal mining requires a stronger enforcement role for traditional authorities.
He lamented that chiefs, although recognized as custodians of the land, lack the legal powers to enforce order and regulate activities in their jurisdictions.
“Chiefs are called landlords, yet when concessions are given out we are sidelined,” he said. “We are helpless. We lack the power to enforce even basic rules. Our decisions must be enforced by the police.”
The Okyehene reiterated his call on government to decentralize state institutions particularly mining regulatory institutions to strengthen supervision and empower local authorities to curb illegal mining.
“It is a tough call for Nananom to stop illegal mining. But we must decentralize the mining regulatory agencies if we want effective supervision.”
He called on law enforcement agencies to respect decisions of House of chiefs and enforce same to help resolved various chieftiancy disputes in the region.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
