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Deputy Defence Minister, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, says Ghanaians criticising the military operation in Ashaiman are being selective in their judgement.
Early Tuesday morning parts of Ashaiman were raided by military personnel following the murder of one of their colleagues days ago by unknown assailants in the area.
According to reports, an unofficial curfew was placed on residents in the area, while some residents were brutalized and rounded up by the military to an unknown location.
The incident has raised the ire of some Ghanaians who have described the military’s actions as illegal.
However, responding to critics, the Deputy Defence Minister said they were only being critical of the situation because the ongoing military action does not serve civilians’ needs.
According to him, when the military is invited to protect civilians’ interests there are no public outcries, however when the military moves to protect its own interests then the public turns against them.
“It often be the case in this country that we always do selective, you know, we select as and when it suits us. Time and time again, the military has been working in collaboration with the police. They have been doing this across the country and I don’t think it is proper when we do this selective thing.
“If it suits us, yes it’s okay the military can be brought in, but when the military is under attack that they don’t have the right to do that? I can’t accept that. I can’t accept that,” he said.
Speaking on PM Express, the Deputy Defence Minister admitted that the military’s actions were illegal, but was quick to defend their actions by claiming the military was under attack.
“Legally I would agree with you, but then how come the military is always made to work. I use the word, it collaborates with the police, they collaborate with the police. The police has done [inaudible] and so the army collaborates with the police. Are we saying that when it suits us we quote the law to support it but when it doesn’t we forget about the law? We must be very consistent. We really need to be very consistent, my brother.
“One may want to believe that, but I also think that when we’re not in normal times we cannot do normal things. Here the military is under attack and we cannot sit and fold our arms, we cannot do that,” he said.
Meanwhile, the residents of Ashaiman who were rounded up by the military are, according to the Minister, being processed at an unknown location and will be handed over to the police when they are done.
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