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Tamale, Ghana – A native of Walewale in the West Mamprusi Municipality in the North East Region of Ghana, Abdul-Mumin Ahmed, has lashed out at the Municipal Security Committee and Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for being responsible for the death of an innocent female teacher who was killed on Sunday by gunmen.
Gifty Kolpoka Atingawaya was returning from Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi Municipality with her husband and two others when they were attacked by gunmen at Tinguri, a community near Walewale. The criminals are still at large since committing the heinous act.
The gunmen shot through the windscreen killing her on the spot according to media reports. Her body was later deposited at the Walewale Government Hospital.
But according to Mr. Ahmed, when his brother was killed two years ago by armed robbers, the then District Chief Executive and Vice President Dr. Bawumia did nothing to stem the problem of insecurity in the municipality after they were petitioned.
He believes the dereliction of duty by DISEC/MUSEC and the Vice President two years ago is what emboldened the criminals to continue to terrorise residents of Walewale leading to the untimely death of the female teacher.
“Just about two years ago when my big brother was shot dead in daylight on the principal street cutting across the Walewale market, we made deliberate efforts at engaging city authorities on what had almost become a norm in the Walewale environs – armed robbers attacking and killing innocent people going about their daily businesses. We petitioned the District Security Executive Committee (DISEC) and held meetings with the District Chief Executive on the way forward in addressing the deteriorating security situation in the District…. We petitioned the Vice President of the Republic in his capacity as chairman of the National Police Council, and subsequently, elder members of the family met him at the Jubilee house on the same issue. Nothing, absolutely nothing was done. At some point, someone in Walewale told me to forget about the issue and move on with my life. I did take that advice with a pinch of salt.
“But of course, when the home of the Vice President in Walewale was attacked by these robbers, for the first time, the Police could identify and arrest suspects. Why do these ruling class take the rest of us for granted, and we have played a role in continuing to allow it. The blood of the female teacher who was murdered yesterday is squarely in the hands of DISEC and the Vice President for utterly refusing to take measures on the issue despite our efforts at waking them up……
“Yesterday it was my brother, today it is the poor teacher. Tomorrow, it is going to be your father, your mother, your sister or you; when it is your turn, don’t ask me to speak out if you won’t now. And when the criminals are emboldened enough, even the ruling class will not be spared”, he said in a facebook post on Sunday December 7, 2019.
Below is his facebook post:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
This poetic form of the confession by Martin Niemöller succinctly expresses the horrifying events taking place in Walewale.
Just about two years ago when my big brother was shot dead in daylight on the principal street cutting across the Walewale market, we made deliberate efforts at engaging city authorities on what had almost become a norm in the Walewale environs – armed robbers attacking and killing innocent people going about their daily businesses. We petitioned the District Security Executive Committee (DISEC) and held meetings with the District Chief Executive on the way forward in addressing the deteriorating security situation in the District. This apology of a DCE played politics with my brother’s murder. He was utterly stupid enough to say somewhere that the heads of our family (Alhaji Sayibu and Bishenaaba) were known members of other political parties – and for him, that was case close on the subject. We petitioned the Vice President of the Republic in his capacity as chairman of the National Police Council, and subsequently, elder members of the family met him at the Jubilee house on the same issue. Nothing, absolutely nothing was done. At some point, someone in Walewale told me to forget about the issue and move on with my life. I did take that advice with a pinch of salt.
But of course, when the home of the Vice President in Walewale was attacked by these robbers, for the first time, the Police could identify and arrest suspects. Why do these ruling class take the rest of us for granted, and we have played a role in continuing to allow it. The blood of the female teacher who was murdered yesterday is squarely in the hands of DISEC and the Vice President for utterly refusing to take measures on the issue despite our efforts at waking them up. I have been known to be a strong advocate and supporter of the Veep, and even outside the shores of Ghana, I continue to defend him fiercely, and perhaps will continue to do so. But when the lives of our people is being threatened and the ruling class find it convenient to sweep the issue under the carpet, we must be forthright with the issues and speak out.
Yesterday it was my brother, today it is the poor teacher. Tomorrow, it is going to be your father, your mother, your sister or you; when it is your turn, don’t ask me to speak out if you won’t now. And when the criminals are emboldened enough, even the ruling class will not be spared.
#A_sad_day_for_walewale
By SavannahNewsOnline.Com/Philip Liebs
