Unruly Soldiers- ?Sack Them if Guilty?

In a week that the President unveiled the busts in memory of our murdered Judges and Major Acquah and Justice Kludze was delivering the Sarkodie-Agyepong- Koranteng- Addo Memorial lectures some ?abongo? boys are at it again. The report that armed soldiers with AK 47 attacked caretakers of Kosbe City Limited at gunpoint, raided their properties; pulled them down with explosives and actually manhandled the security men going about their lawful duties makes me sick, angry and frustrated.
The government, intelligentsia, elite, bar association and other key stakeholders cannot remain neutral. There is no middle way in our struggle to create a state based on good governance. As stated by Justice Kludze ?the nation must rediscover its proper bearings and anchor the ship of state on the time tested, solid foundations of legality and accountability. As a people we must be totally committed to the Principle of the Rule of Law, fairness, and the indispensability of an independent, free and liberal Judiciary.
We must never allow the powers of government or the upholders of the powers of government to be used arbitrarily, unfairly, unjust and indiscriminate. We must always ensure that the laws of the land respect the basic and essential humanity of all its citizens, protect their basic fundamental human rights and freedoms and that money is never a barrier to receiving fair treatment.
Justice Kludze was right when he suggested that in all dictatorial regimes the law is used as a tool of repression. In the Nkrumah, Acheampong, Rawlings era some of our esteemed legal experts and legal brains ?assisted in the imposition or installation of unconstitutional rule?. It does not need re-stating that Ghanaians are fed up to the teeth with the continuing ?go to hell attitude? we are above the law ? postures of some of the military personnel.
The greatest obstacle to our search for true participative politics and good governance has been the military factor. They have always scuppered our efforts to move forward. Our pitiful continent is awash with ?soldiers turn politicians?.
I guess as a nation we need to take a surgical approach to the blatant disrespect of some of our military personnel to anything civilian. I will suggest as a first step:
q No civilian government must appoint any military personnel to a civilian post.
q All military posts and barracks must be moved as far way from the capital as possible- start with Burma camp ? turn it into a University of Science, training nurses, medical students, computer students and other much needed skills. Move the soldiers to Akosombo, make them comfortable. I will take the lead in helping the government to secure European Union Funding for such a proposal. I am sure the European Union will warm to such an innovative proposal
q Access to Guns must be strictly controlled and supervised
q There must be instant dismissal of military personnel who engage in debt collecting, harassment and bullying of civilians
q Government must lead by example: it does nobody any good when members of the ruling party engage the services of the military in civilian issues or use the might of the military against its political opponents.
Intelligent Ghanaians and experts of constitutional rule will have other measures that may help us cut this cancerous growth that has stifled our ability to develop. There are better brains in Ghana who may have something to say about this. Let us have the debate.
Ghanaians are sick with all functionaries of successive governments, settling their domestic problems with the help of the military personnel. We are fed up with ?top people? collaborating with the military/Police personnel to trample on the fundamental human rights of the poor and citizenry, I am fed up with timid policemen, Judges and lawyers who are afraid to make pronouncements on the law as they saw it or to stand up to the big men.
We must say it loud; shout it out at the rooftops, market places. Church halls, schools, and courtrooms, drinking bars ? turn it into a slogan ?WE ARE ALL EQUAL?- Ye Ye Pe.
It is only in a free society that the genius and innovativeness of the people can flow and flourish; it is only in a country with a robust judiciary and resolute commitment to the rule of law that a prosperous, sound economy can be built up and sustained in the long term. It is only in Ghana where someone can be jailed for 3 years for stealing a fowl whereas ?bigmen/women? do not even see the inside of a courtroom never mind get punished for wrongdoings.
For heavens sake it is high time somebody say enough is enough- The military personnel who perpetrated this crimes must be shown good governance, they must be given a proper trial and if found guilty DISCHARGED IN DISGRACE. Let us make an example of them- enough is Enough.- ?yabre? we are tired.

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