Kumasi Assault: Otiko Djaba Petitioned

Listen to this article Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Women’s Wing of the Progressive Alliance Media Communicators has petitioned the minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection to begin investigations into mob attack on a woman alleged to have stolen items at the Adum Market in Kumasi.

The petition asserts that the attack on the lady was inhuman and cannot be tolerated in a democratic society which is governed by rule of law.

It has, in no uncertain terms, condemned the seemingly “fast growing tradition” of instant justice on suspected criminals, urging Madam Otiko Djaba to get into the bottom of the matter with “urgency” to bring the perpetrators to book.

An angry mob, on Tuesday , 14th February 2017, seized, stripped and stoned a suspected lady who was alleged to have stolen at the Kejetia Market in Kumasi, with a video of their actions going viral on social media, an act the petition treat “with disdain.”

“…… we treat it with disdain the threat of bodily harm caused to a lady who had been alleged to have stolen on Tuesday , 14th February 2017 at Adum in Kumasi,”the petition read.

“The ‘act’, which we consider to be unworthy in the society that is governed by rule of law and where fundamental human rights of every individual remain the pillar in every democratic society, it would have been more appropriate for the mob to treat this lady in a manner that would been in conformity with the laws and conventions of this nation rather than acting capriciously and mercilessly to manhandle the suspect in an inhumane manner in the full glare of the public.”

The Progressive Alliance Media Communicators, in their petitioned presented to the minister on Friday, has equally condemned the alleged criminality on the part of the lady in question.

However,it posits that a thorough investigation and arrest of those who meted out those harsh treatments on the lady, will “enlighten the public as well on the need to be tolerant when matters like this rears its head.”

Find below the petition by Progressive Alliance Media Communicators WOMEN’S WING*

PETITION TO INVESTIGATE ADUM KUMASI ASSAULT CASE.

Dear Madam,

The above mentioned group is desired to use this medium to congratulate you on your new portfolio as minister in charge of gender affairs especially women. We warmly welcome you Madam.

We believe and pray you will demonstrate two-way leadership quality to facelift and protect the liberty of children , girls , women , men and aged in this our society.

That said, Honourable, we treat it with disdain the threat of bodily harm caused to a lady who had been alleged to have stolen on Tuesday , 14th February 2017 at Adum in Kumasi.

The “act”, which we consider to be unworthy in the society that is governed by rule of law and where fundamental human rights of every individual remain the pillar in every democratic society, it would have been more appropriate for the mob to treat this lady in a manner that would been in conformity with the laws and conventions of this nation rather than acting capriciously and mercilessly to malhandle the suspect in an inhumane manner in the full glare of the public.

We consider this act unacceptable and condemn it with no uncertainty taken into consideration the moral values of our society and the very foundation of our democracy which is respect for human rights at all times.

Hon. Minister , it is appearing to be a fast growing tradition in our country where group of people take the law into their hands and visit instant justice on suspected criminals when such act by the mob itself is criminalised in the country’s criminal codes with prescribed severe punishments including committing offenders to death.

Hon. Minister, we members of PAMC Women’s Wing have confidence in you and also appreciate your readiness in pursuit of the tenets of the constitution particularly Articles 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively to fight for the plights of every individual (especially women like the victim , whether suspect or not , criminal or not ) in this country .

Respectfully , Madam, we do not believe this country has turned into a jungle where people’s right may be trampled in one unjust reason or the other or mere suspicion. With the reputation Ghana has achieved in matters of law and human emancipation we see the need to maintain such a high pedigree.

However, we do not mean to support crime neither do we support the alleged criminality on the part of the lady in question but the manner in which she was treated is what we think and know was uncalled for and unfortunate, the reason we humbly plead with you to engage the respective institution(s) especially the Ghana police service to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter in order to bring the perpetrators to book.

We once again appeal to you, as a matter of urgency, to delve into the matter and get to the bottom of it, and enlighten the public as well on the need to be tolerant when matters like this rears its head.

Honestly, Ghana is the only country we have and we all have a responsibility to make it peaceful.

We are looking forward to hearing and seeing your action on this injustice.
Thank you

Enc: Exhibit 1 (Video of the victim in a horrible punishment).

PAMC is poised to deliver the right information at the right time to the right people through the right media.

SIGNED
1. Lydia Essandoh
0543366627
2. Bea Ogah
0209570815
3. Christiana Dadebo
0242323440
4. Annette Enyornam
0246172449
5. Rehinatu Issifu 0209797320

By: ghanaguardian.com