The Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram Sam George has urged parliament to intervene for the compensation for some eight victims of the violence which characterized the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
The Emile Short commission report recommended compensation for the victims which was accepted by the government’s white paper.
Two years down the line, no victim has received a penny from the state.
In a statement on the floor, Sam George reiterated the sorry state of the victims asking the house to intervene.
He told Starr News’ parliamentary correspondent Ibrahim Alhassan that despite government’s disagreement with the work of the commission, the government agreed that at least eight citizens deserved compensation.
“It’s almost two years, Sunday was the second anniversary of the event itself but it’s been almost two years since the report was submitted to the government.”
He indicated “none of these citizens have received their compensation, not even one. And these citizens are our constituents. This statement was not about me it was about the eight individuals and that’s why I took my time to mention their names one by one on the floor of the house so that it goes into the record of parliament that the state of Ghana owes them compensation and we need to do same.”
“Its paiful when you meet Mr Yaro who was shot in the leg. After three surgeries, this was a footballer. Every footballer’s main tool is the legs. He was shot in the legs, the legs damaged, three surgeries, still. That’s the pain that he has to live with.”
Mr George is of the view that “for me, it is uncoscionale that we celebrate ourselves as a country saying we are the beamlight of democracy and after erant actions by state operatives captured on video. People have been found culpable, a report has been produced by a commission set up by the president and the recommendations are still lying there and gathering dust.”
“These compensations are really not any huge sums of money for the state and it is sad that even on the government side, people failed to rise to show empathy with Ghanaians.”
As to whether the situation may boil iown to a civil action taken against government, he intimated “it may have to come down to civil action in court. But you ask yourself, many of these victims, do they have the wherewithout for a legal battle. Exceot you get a lawyer who would choose to do it probono because many fothem don’t have what it takes to get a lawyer.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh
