Randy Abbey wades into Ejura killings

Media consultant and host of ‘Good Morning Ghana’, Randy Abbey, says intelligence picked by security agencies at Ejura of a possible rampage should have enabled them to put in measures to prevent the subsequent mayhem on June 29.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, he said the key significance of intel is to prevent casualties.

Mr Abbey questioned why the said intelligence picked failed to assist the police in preparing adequately before meeting the youth who hit the streets to demand justice for the murdered activist.

“I am kind of surprised that I keep hearing ‘we picked intelligence, we had intelligence’. Yet, that kind of intelligence could not lead the authorities to put in measures to prevent the rioting or clash. One of the benefits of intelligence is to avert or prevent something.

“So if we keep hearing we picked intelligence, what did we do with the intelligence? If we had intelligence that people were going out, and you obviously should have put in place measures to prevent what occurred,” he told Samson Lardy Anyenini on Saturday.

His comments come as a response to testimony made by the Ashanti Regional Minister and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ejura, who informed the three-member Committee probing the Ejura killings that they received intel of a possible rampage on Tuesday, June 29.

According to the MCE, the intelligence resulted in him and the security heads reaching out to the Divisional Command for support.

“I was informed that the security had picked intelligence that there was going to be an attack and other vandalism in town.

“That evening, all the security heads, the BNI, the Crime Officer and the Police were all at the Police station. I was the only person who was away. So we were in constant touch with each other that evening.

“I and the security heads agreed that we should call for support through the Divisional Command looking at what happened that evening. After the discussion, I followed up with a call to the Divisional Police Command to assist us with some security on the ground to make sure everything is in order.

“Around 11:00pm, I had information that some Policemen had arrived with a water cannon. Few minutes after the decision, I had information again that the Military had also arrived. We were asked to support with accommodation,” he narrated.

But according to Mr Abbey, regardless of intel, the security agencies should have made provisions to bring calm to Ejura after the youth showed signs of agitation following the burial of social media activist, Ibrahim Mohammed also known as Kaaka.

“Even without the intelligence to speak, I mean even common sense will tell you that if you look at the advocacy of the deceased and you look at the circumstances surrounding his death, common sense should even tell you, you should even expect something like this.

“Because from the reports we had, they went to bury him and from the burial, obviously agitated because it is prime knowledge the guy was murdered. So it is not as if he died of natural course,” he stated.

For him, the gravity of the protest covered by JoyNews’ Erastus Asare Donkor was not beyond the capabilities of the Ashanti Regional Police Command to control such that the military had to be deployed to intervene.

The decision to introduce the military, he said, dents the efficiency of the Police Command in the Ashanti Region.

“I cannot appreciate how what we saw was beyond the capabilities of the police in the Ashanti Region because if what we saw is beyond the capabilities of the Police in the Ashanti Region, then we have no police.

“To honest with you, what is it that we saw? That we are saying that the police in the region could not deal with it, and we had to bring the military to come and handle what we saw.”

Meanwhile, Mr Abbey is not in support of the idea that persons who revealed they picked intelligence of rampage at Ejura are still at post.

“Why are people who said they picked intelligence remain in office and still have the nerves to appear on TV and tell us all the things they are telling us?” he quizzed.

He also admonished the three-member Committee chaired by George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal, to be cautious with the line of questions posed to witnesses assisting the probe.

“I am a bit disturbed about the line of questioning and commentary from the members of the Commission, and I think they have to check it. I should think that by now, they should be watching a playback of the sessions to ask themselves whether they are not even getting too carried away and all that,” he said.

“I listened to Erastus speak about his encounter with the Committee and the use of video footage he provided. Why they decided to choose the one that had captions on and not the raw footage and decided to take him on on those things and all that is an issue.

“If you listen to him and the CitiTV journalist as well, you will realise that they are not even comfortable with the work of the Committee, and they suspect that perhaps the Committee has a certain agenda,” Mr Abbey added.