DCE condemns brutalisation of mason by land guards, debunks allegations of involvement

The District Chief Executive of the Afigya Kwabre South District in the Ashanti region, Adu Poku Christian, otherwise known as APC has rubbished claims that he assigned taskforce to beat up a mason on a site.

According to the DCE, he never knew anything about the taskforce’s operation as they don’t work straight under him.

Explaining further in an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb, APC said the assembly’s taskforce which works under Works and Development Control departments falls within an entity of its own.

He said though the taskforce was instituted during his era as a DCE, that doesn’t make it his bonafide property which he can use to do anything as was alleged in a circulating video.

Speaking to GhanaWeb in reaction to the viral video that captures a group of men in uniform beating another who is said to be a mason, the DCE who condemned the act said the assembly was going to avail the men for any investigation to take place.

According to him, even though it was learnt that the taskforce were first attacked by the man in question, it was very unfortunate the taskforce beat him up brutally.

A viral video which captures a group of men in uniform beating another man who is said to be a mason at a site has been condemned by social media users and some traditional media.

Some reports on the video alleged that the men were assigned by the DCE for the Afigya Kwabre South District to go and attack the mason.

But responding to all these allegations, the DCE said he had no hands in the taskforce’s operation.

He said the uniforms worn by the assembly’s taskforce were not the same as the military’s uniform.

He also disclosed that investigations had already been launched into the issue at hand by the security.

He further revealed that, the Assembly in collaboration with the security forces were organising proper orientation service for the task force in order to avoid any further occurrences in the future.

He however urged the public to always cooperate with the works of the taskforce since they were not enemies, but their work was to ensure proper things are done in terms of development.

Meanwhile, some members of the task force who have been speaking to GhanaWeb said they usually get attacks in the course of their duties.

According to them, the mason attacked some of their men before they took the action.

They also refuted claims that they were in military uniform.

Operations leader of the taskforce team, Daniel Ofosu Nimo popularly known as ‘Osofo’, pleaded with the public to avoid violent actions toward the taskforce since they were not enemies.

He said it was very worrying that the severe attacks sometimes compel his men to retaliate which is very unfortunate.

Meanwhile, the military had invited members of the taskforce after a further investigation, thus as the time of filing this report. The military men invited the task force after having a closed door meeting with the DCE.