Ayawaso violence: Commission of Inquiry not best solution – Mahama

Former president John Mahama on Wednesday met diplomats in Ghana to register his displeasure about how the government is handling the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.

The government has set up a three-member Commission of Inquiry to investigate circumstances leading to at least six persons sustaining gunshot wounds and other infractions.

Speaking to the diplomatic corps at Peduase, Mahama said the Ayawaso violence must be treated as a criminal case by the police, adding a Commission of Inquiry “is not the most convenient way for sanctioning criminal conduct.”

Condemning the violence, Mahama called on the security agencies to go after the perpetrators to face the law.

“It is my belief that the president [Nana Akufo-Addo] would have known what security arrangements were being made [during the by-election]. These are all issues that have come up.

“We believe that this is a straight criminal case and the people involved, many of them have been identified and the Police should have invited them, taken their statements and started their investigation. Instead, they have decided to set up a Commission of Inquiry.”



“We all know what happens when Commissions of Inquiries are set up. The main usefulness of a Commission of Inquiry is to bring out the facts and put in place measures to ensure that such a thing does not happen again but it is not the most convenient way for sanctioning criminal conduct,” the former president stated.

Present at the meeting were the National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the Deputy Minority Leader James Avedzi, a former Minister for National Security Kofi Totobi Quakyi and senior members of the NDC.

The diplomats were shown multiple videos of the attacks and gun violence.