Erskine suggests self-defence training for Ghanaians

Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - General Emmanuel Alexander Erskine, a Member of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), on Thursday suggested basic military training to equip the average Ghanaian with skills of self-defence.

He said the purpose should not be necessarily to fight the military, but to defend oneself against robbers.

General Erskine, a former Commander of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon, made the suggestion in Accra in reaction to testimonies that involved a witness using self defence skills against attack and brutalities by soldiers at different times and places in 1982 and 1987.

In his evidence, Mr Emmanuel Kwame Mentor, a former transport operator, told the Commission that soldiers on October 10, 1982 arrested his car at Tadzewu, while conveying some eggs from Accra to Dzodze in the Volta Region.

He said he parked the vehicle at the premises of the Apostles Revelation Society in Tadzewu to avoid getting caught in the curfew, which was then in force.

Mr Mentor said as he and the other occupants were resting in the car, five armed soldiers came out of a Datsun Pick-up, to search his car, its documents, and then asked of the owner of the car.

He said immediately he owned up, the leader of the group, one L/Cpl Dzogbetakpo, slapped him, and kicked him in the abdomen. Witness said when he asked the leader why he was brutalising him, he rather became more furious and invited his colleagues, who joined in brutalising him.

He said they seized his car, and ordered him into their pick up, threatening to shoot him if he dared move.

Mr Mentor said the Lance Corporal attempted to shoot at him and in the process engaged in a scuffle with him over his pistol.

He said while this was going on, he saw the light of an approaching vehicle, and sensing it might be a reinforcement, he shouted for divine intervention to save himself.

He said he gave the soldier a heavy blow that sent him to the ground, after which he (Mr Mentor) fled into the bush.

He said the soldiers later fired shots all over to scare him out of the bush.

Mr Mentor said he later had information that the soldiers took the eggs to a house near the Denu beach and they and some girls ate them.

He said he later located his car at the Kotoka International Airport being used by the Border Guards.

However, when he approached then Capt. Lumor, who was in-charge at the Border Guards, Airport, for his car, the officer told him that L/Cpl Dzogbetakpo, the leader of group was developing some mental sickness and was receiving herbal treatment.

He said Capt. Lumor forced him to pay for the cost of treatment of L/Cpl Dzokpetakpo based on a belief that he cast a spell on him at the time the vehicle was impounded.

Witness said he spent 12,000 cedis on the treatment.

He said the officer later told him that the case was sent to the "office of the president", where it was decided that the owner of the vehicle should be executed by firing squad but was being pardoned because of his young age and that instead, the car was confiscated.

Witness said he was then 21 years old.

Mr Mentor prayed the Commission to invite L/Cpl Dzogbetakpo to explain the reason for impounding his car.

Another Witness, Mr. Edward Kumalor Adjartey, former Deputy Tema Fishing Harbour branch manager of the Ghana Commercial Bank said, while driving back home to Community Two on December 31, ex-WO Yaw Nkwantabisa accused him of crossing him, and followed him to a point where he parked his car.

He said the ex-WO got out and slapped him, sending him to the floor and injuring his eye.

He said a scuffle ensued between the two of them and that some women who were at the spot, restrained him from picking and hitting the ex-WO with a piece of firewood.

Mr Adjartey said the women told her the WO would have killed him if he had persisted.

He said a mob soon gathered and was about to lynch the ex-WO who, before leaving the scene, fired shots at one of the rear tyres of his car and deflated it.

The Witness said he had pains in his ear and eyes, but when he reported to Community One Police Station, he was turned away to the Community Four Police Station, but the Inspector there was scared of the WO Nkwantabisa, and unwillingly took his statement.

Mr Adjartey said he had to stay out of work for three weeks for treatment and it took three months before the blood clots were cleared from his eye.

The Commission informed the hearing that the ex-WO who was served notice but was not present, had admitted on hindsight that he should have taken a different course of action on the issue.

Stephen Asante, another witness said a soldier mistook him for a bookman at the Nkawkaw Station, and engaged him in a fight in which he nearly lost his life because the soldier had wanted to shoot him with a pistol.

The Witness said at that time bookmen had been banned from the station.

He said he made use of self-defence skills he learned at the Boys Company to fight the soldier.

He said the soldier booted him, and hit his chin against the embankment of a nearby gutter into which they had fallen during the fight.

He said the soldier later blew a whistle and six more others came to join him to fight him.

In the process, the upper part of his right ear was bitten off, leaving a permanent scar and causing him hearing impairment.

Mr Stephen Asante said he was hospitalised for three weeks at the Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital.

He said a s a result of his trouble with the soldier and subsequent hospitalisation, his farm produce that he was sending to Accra to sell had gone bad.

He prayed the Commission for redress.