NRC report should serve as an early warning device

Government is encouraging Ghanaians to make the report of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), an early warning device, so as to enable them to identify actions and persons likely to attempt to reverse the trend of constitutional democracy.
The report, the government insists, “is necessary because prevention is always better than cure”. The findings of the commission reveal that abuses committed during the period of reference of the NRC were not only confined to unconstitutional governments, even though they recorded higher than democratically elected ones.
According to the report presented by Ayikoi Otoo, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, majority of these abuses could be attributed to the military, the police and the prisons service, as they stood out as the main perpetrators.
It states that a greater proportion of the executions happened in Accra and Kumasi, with violations mainly against adult males. The report identifies economic hardships and bankruptcy as some of the major long-term effects of the violations.
The report explained that “some of the petitioners are only looking out for the truth and not any form of compensation, while others are also asking for apologies from people such as the sitting President and certain public institutions that were involved”.
The report again proposed a national monument engraved with names of the victims to be built. It also asks for a scholarship scheme to be put up for wards of victims or persons such as those who were disabled, those who disappeared and traders whose goods were seized and businesses destroyed.
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Ayikoi Otoo, stressed that “the government accepts the general recommendations made by the commission to the effect that the best way to prevent the misuse of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Police Service and the Prisons Service, is to ensure that there is transparency, fairness and the highest level of professionalism, in the recruitment, training and deployment of these forces”.
“Government remains committed to the decentralization of all public institutions. Government, therefore, considers the recommendation regarding the decentralization of the Police Command as a proposal for the future. But for now, the critical areas for attention are the manpower, resources and improvement in working conditions, as well as instilling a sense of professionalism and integrity and respect for human rights in the members of the service”, Mr. Otoo emphasized.
He said government endorses and accepts the recommendations of the Commission wholly and will implement them vigorously. In the minister’s view, the outpouring of goodwill towards the commission’s work, in the face of some bitter criticisms, is testimony to the fact that even though we disagree on the strategy, we all want healing and reconciliation for this country.
He announced government’s direction to the Education Ministry to make copies of the report available to all school libraries, including the private schools.
President John Agyekum Kufuor inaugurated the commission on May 6, 2002, under the National Reconciliation Commission Act 2002 (Act 611).
It was to help Ghana design a new strategy to promote national reconciliation among the people by recommending appropriate measures to ensure redress for persons who have suffered any injury, hurt, damage, grievance or who have in any other manner been affected by violations and abuses of their human rights, as a result of activities of public institutions and persons holding public offices during periods of unconstitutional government.
A Retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Kweku Etrew Amua-Serkyi, chaired the nine-member commission.