Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Information Minister
The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said the President will not be stampeded into releasing the Emile Short Commission report on the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.
He was responding to the Minority’s demand at a press conference for the report to be published to inform ongoing crafting of an anti-vigilantism law in Parliament.
The Commission presented its report in March after its public hearings to the President.
Speaking to OTEC News, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah indicated that the ongoing processes are not affected in any way by the fact that the commission’s report has not been published.
He insisted that the state was not “second-guessing the constitution.”
“The constitution of the Republic is clear that when you have a commission of enquiry, you have up to six months to make a determination on whether the report will be made public… It will be strange for anybody who knows the law; who knows the constitution and is very familiar with it to all of a sudden feign ignorances about what the constitution says.”
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also said even if the report is released it would not have a bearing on the crafting of the law.
“Why do we suppose that without a public outing of the Emile Short commission report, persons cannot contribute to the Vigilantism Bill? It is a strange argument to make,” he stated.
If an input is needed from the report, the Minister said the Interior Ministry could be made privy to the report to aid the crafting of the law.
“He can be authorized by the President to have a reading and inform the discussions on the legislation with whatever recommendations are relevant to the Bill we are passing.”
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
