News Desk Report
In the wake of the gruesome murder of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama recently, Most Rev. Philip Naameh, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), has called on Ghanaians to always respect the rule of law.
Condemning the increasing spate of lawlessness in the country, he urged the citizenry not to take the law into their own hands when confronted with situations but follow through laid down procedures.
Meanwhile, a six-member delegation of the GCBC led by its Vice President, Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, condoled with the family at Burma Camp in Accra, describing his death as cruel and unghanaian. Reports Doreen Darko.
The Archbishop said members of the Conference and the entire Catholic faithful were saddened and shocked by the Captain’s death, expressing the sympathy and condolences of the Bishops and the whole Church.
He condemned lynching, mob action and instant justice, saying that no one is allowed to take another person’s life irrespective of the magnitude of the crime because life was an ultimate gift from God.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle stated that mob action and justice were not fair as it does not respect the rights of the culprit to defend himself and be defended, stressing the need for the rule of law to prevail in the case and those found guilty punished accordingly.
Mr. Zakaria Sakara, Spokesperson of the family, thanked the Conference and the Church for their prayers and support, adding that they had been overwhelmed by the encouragement from Ghanaians.
Other members of the delegation were Rev. Frs. Lazarus Anondee, Secretary General of the National Catholic Secretariat NCS), Dieu Donne Davor, Executive Secretary of the Department of Social Communication; Samuel Akoto-Mensah, National Director of Religious Education and Catechesis, Alex Anaman, Deputy Director, Religious Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces and Rev. Sr. Juliana Omudu, SHCJ of the NCS.
Many other Ghanaian leaders and the general public have also condemned the barbaric act and the high rate of lawlessness in the country.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo bemoaned such mob actions and other acts of lawlessness, promising that the all those involved in the murder of the Captain will be dealt with according to the law.
The President announced the promotion of the late Captain to the rank of Major posthumously when he visited the family at Burma Camp during the one week observance of the death of Major Mahama.
A Memorial Trust Fund with a seed money of GH¢500,000 has also been set up by the government to cater for his wife and children. The President made a personal donation of GH¢50,000 to the Fund. A monument will also be erected in honour of Major Mahama.
Former President John Dramani Mahama asked Ghanaians to desist from politicising the murder of Major Mahama and urged the various political stakeholders to rather “take this as a national tragedy in a non-partisan manner, and treat it as the way it should be treated” instead of pointing accusing fingers at each other.
On his part, Former President Jerry John Rawlings called on the security agencies and the Law Courts to inspire confidence in the populace by acting swiftly and effectively when crimes are committed in our communities.
Dr. Raymond Atuguba, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon, has called for a legal revolution to deal with the growing lawlessness in the country.
He noted that the cumbersome Court proceedings make it difficult for the citizenry to seek justice through the court system, thereby resulting in mob justice and people taking the law into their own hands.
He stressed the need to strengthen the Court system in the country and ensure that there is justice for all, devoid of corruption or political influence. This, he said, was the only way the judicial system would win the confidence of the populace and thereby prevent instant justice and lawlessness.
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Founder of Danquah Institute, has indicated that tougher jail terms for persons who partake in mob action in Ghana will help in dealing with the age-old problem in the country.
He noted that “When we start sentencing those who take part in mob killing to life imprisonment, then we will start succeeding with the education against it.”
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has issued a stern warning to Pastors to stop giving spiritual interpretations to the death of Captain Mahama. This followed the assertion by Rev. Owusu Bempah, Leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministry International that the death of the Military Officer was part of punishment meant for former President John Mahama, who is also an Uncle of the slain soldier.
Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, General Secretary of the CCG, asked Churches and Pastors to be careful how they spiritualise issues.
The National House of Chiefs has called on Ghanaians to exercise restraint while the state security agencies undertake thorough investigations into the “despicable” act.
The Chiefs said the country had witnessed increasing cases of lawlessness characterised by impunity because most culprits escape punishment, stressing that
“Attacking and killing someone on a mere suspicion makes our society unsafe, and expose each one of us to grave risk”.
The Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, has also condemned the trend of impunity and culture of violence that has sprang up in the country saying that “we find this method of mob action or reprisal attacks unacceptable and untenable in our governance system. Such actions constitute threats to our democracy”.
The Order added that these acts of lawlessness discredit the hard-won democratic credentials of Ghana and charged the Police and the Security agencies to rise up to the occasion and bring the perpetrators to face the full rigours of the law.
Capt. Mahama of the 5th Battalion Infantry, was on May 29, 2017, lynched by some youth while he reportedly went for his early morning jogging.
He was stoned and burnt by the youth of Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region who claimed they mistook him for an armed robber.
