<<Print>>

Minister-Designate for Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong says it will be wrong to blame him for the violence that characterized the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

According to the former Minister of State at the Ministry of National Security, it will be unfair and injustice if he is blamed for the disturbances.

He said this when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament during his vetting on Monday, February 20 when he was quizzed by Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga relating to the violence.

The Abetifi MP said “Mr Ayariga, it is not fair that if you are a Minister of State at that level or a supervisor, an IGP or CDS and your men go on the field to execute an assignment and they misconduct themselves, a policeman misconducts himself in Bawku and the IGP is held liable or is reprimanded. That is not fair, even if it is true, it is just not fair.

“You can accuse him for not training his men but you can’t place individual liability on such a person, it is not fair and it is not right.

“That is the situation that I find myself in even if I authorized it but in this case, it wasn’t even me, that is a clear case of injustice and that is what you should be fighting for me.”

The violence that characterized the by-election on January 31, 2019 led to the formation of the Justice Emile Short Commission which was established by President Akufo-Addo under Article 278 of the 1992 Constitution, to enquire into the events and associated violence.

The Commission further presented its report to Mr Akufo-Addo on Thursday, March 14, 2019 which the government issued its White Paper on the report and rejected most portions of it.

However, a section of the public especially members of the opposition NDC criticized the government for failing to implement key aspects of the report.