A law lecturer has demanded of government to make clear to citizens the specifics of the jobs done by the various security agencies so people’s rights are not abused.
Clara Beeri Kasser-Tee of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) says a situation where people storm in homes saying they are from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to effect an arrest is arbitrary.
“…does it mean that any kidnapper can come onto your property and say ‘I am from BNI or National Security’ and pick you up? It is not right…that is why I talk aboutstandard, it ought to be clear which state apparatus does what job,” she told Samsom Lardy Ayenini on Joy FM/MultiTV’s Newsfile show on Saturday.
She said jobs that include picking people up from their homes and entering people’s properties when the constitution gives them the right to privacy is not right.
According to her, people have the right to exclude any other person on their property, it is in place for people to demand answers to be sure who is on their property in the name of the state.
Mr Kasser Tee was reacting to reports that some masked men purporting to be officers from the National Security forcibly went into the property of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Kwasi Brempong, during last Thursday during a by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency.
The officers claimed they had reports that there is a stockpile of arms in the house thus their demand to search the house.
Confusion ensued as there was resistance and some 18 people were injured as a result of sporadic shooting by the security officers.
The issue of using masked men, whom the police say they do not know about, has widely been criticised after their action caused the NDC to pull out of the by-election.
“I met the masked guys when I was leaving GIMPA campus and it was intimidating…I was like is this was some wartorn country or it is the Ghana we all know?…I actually did not have any reason to believe it was National Security because if you are state security agency I think you owe a duty to the people to be identifiable by something,” she said.
The law lecturer stressed that once it is the duty of the state to protect citizens, there was no point in people feeling intimidated when the security agencies are out to do their job.
Mrs Kasser-Tee said the sight of such agencies should rather be reassuring.
“What I am interested in is when we have by-elections with respect to security, whose job is what? This will ensure there is proper coordination and there is no shooting around…” she said.
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Source: MyJoyOnline.com
