Catholic Bishops in Ghana “condemn in no uncertain terms” Killing of Activist, Protesters

“We have expressed time and again the need for our security agencies to be very professional in the discharge of their duties, especially when it comes to crowd control,” GCBC members say.

Unfortunately, they say, “the situation is rather getting out of hand and this does not augur well for our country.”

The Catholic Bishops further pose, in reference to a clip showing a security officer shooting at the Ejura protesters, "How can one justify the action of the military man seen in the viral video aiming and shooting at unprotected and unarmed civilians in an attempt to stop the demonstration?"

“This act is not only condemnable but criminal and must be investigated and the perpetrators duly punished,” they say, adding that the probe into the incidents “must be done with the urgency it deserves because citizens are gradually losing trust in the ability of our security agencies to handle such cases effectively and completely.”

The Ashanti Regional Police Command has assured the general public that investigations into circumstances leading to the death of Muntala and Yusif have been launched. 

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In their statement, GCBC members also appeal to the agitated youth in Ejura to restrain themselves from acts that can result in social unrest. 

“Those who wish to exercise their fundamental human right to protest should do so within the limits of the laws of the country,” the Catholic Bishops in Ghana say. 

To the well-meaning Ghanaians, the Catholic Church leaders ask that they “deplore and actively discourage the seemingly growing level of intolerance of divergent views and undemocratic conduct of security personnel and some government officials.”

On their part, officials of the National Peace Council (NPC) have expressed “grave concern”  following the reported killings by security officers. 

NPC officials acknowledge with appreciation the President’s directive to the Minister of Interior to conduct a public inquiry into the murders and encourage members of the proposed committee “to work within the terms of reference.”

The officials who include Bishop Emmanuel Kofi Fianu of Ghana’s Catholic Diocese of Ho also call on the media and all those who make statements on the events to exercise maximum restraint in their pronouncements. 

They further express their “deepest condolences” to the bereaved families and encourage the people of God in Ejuru to keep calm and allow investigations to take place without hindrances.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.