James Agalga, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, has urged the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, to exercise restraint in the discharge of his duties.
His remarks follow the attempted arrest of Francis-Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Madina constituency.
During a protest organized by Madina MP, some protestors allegedly blocked roads, burned tyres, and destroyed some properties.
Police have insisted that these were criminal acts and have attempted to enlist the MP’s assistance in their investigations.
Speaking on Face to Face on Citi TV, Mr Agalga advised the IGP Damapre and the Police Service not to be “over-zealous.”
“This is his first gaffe. He is being over-zealous. The IGP needs to understand that the democratic dispensation does not allow the police to also act above the law, just as we are being told that MPs are not above the law. He should remember that the service owes its existence to the 1992 constitution.”
“He needs to be mindful about the clear provisions of Article 122 and 117. It is not for nothing that the framers of the constitution made room for these provisions. If it is the collective view of Ghanaians that these provisions have outlived their usefulness, then let’s take them out of the constitution.”
“But until then, I expect everyone, including the President, to respect this provision. Even if they intend seeking for interpretation of the provision, that has not been done yet, and so the police should just stick with the Speaker’s position and stop the back and forth.”
