Deputy Defence Minister fumes after man issued threats to military at Banda

A Deputy Minister of Defence, Major (rtd) Derick Oduro, says the military were not deployed to prevent people from registering and therefore it was wrong for a man in a viral video to have threatened the officers.

In a viral video making rounds on social Media, a man is heard telling the military to leave the Banda township in the Bono Region.

“The military must leave this town immediately otherwise if they stay in this town for one more day, they cannot bear the consequences. If it is the government that has deployed the military to this town then they are calling for a fight for Bandaman and the Government of Ghana,” the man is heard in the video saying.

According to the man, “the registration of people is not the responsibility of the military officers. The Voltarians from the other side always come here to vote in election year so I am surprised that this year alone they are being prevented from registering”.

Commenting on the incident on Decision 2020, an afternoon programme broadcast live on 3FM and hosted by Stephen Anti every Sunday between 12:00 and 1:00pm, Major Derick Oduro, who is also the MP for Nkoranza North Constituency, said he will not take the threat lightly as he vowed the police will pick the man.

According to Major Rtd Oduro, it is untrue the soldiers are preventing people from exercising their rights.

He stressed the soldiers are on lawful operations.

“Military have been deployed on operation to make sure peace prevails all over the country so the soldiers are not there and you cannot order the soldiers to leave when they are there for peace, when they are there to ensure that people don’t embark on criminal activities.

“And I am told when somebody was killed, they were calling soldiers to come to their aid. When soldiers are there you say they should leave, they should leave for where?” he quizzed.

Accordingly, he said, “the police will take action against any person who prevents lawful exercise of duties”.

“Threatening is an offence in this country so if you issue unnecessary threats then when people are embarking on lawful duty then you are supposed to be arrested and investigation should be conducted and if you are found culpable of issuing threats you will face the full rigors of the law.”

Last month, violent clashes between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Banda Ahenkro resulted in the death of one person with a number of injuries and the destruction to property.

A number of individuals including the former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, have questioned the timing of the deployment of the soldiers.

But according to Maj. Derek Oduro, whatever is necessary for the president and the country to do, he will do it.

“If the former president was in power, he would do the same thing. Until the borders are opened, nobody should cross them.”