Gov’t submits Ayawaso West Wuogon report, White Paper for publication

Government has submitted for publication the Report of the Short Commission of Inquiry into the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.

Many have since the Commission’s presentation of the report to the President, clamored for its publication together with the government’s position paper.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said in a Facebook post that both the report and its White Paper were submitted on Friday to be gazetted.

“In accordance with Article 280 Clause 3 of the Constitution 1992, the government on Friday 13^th September 2019 submitted for gazetting and publication the report and its white paper on the Ayawaso West Wuogon Commission of Enquiry. The Commission was established on February 8^th, 2019 by President Akufo-Addo to make a full faithful and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of and establish the facts leading to the events and associated violence that occurred during the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence by-election held on the 31^st of January, 2019. The Commission submitted its report on 14^th March 2019 to the President. After a careful study, the government has issued a white paper which together with the report itself, has elected to publish in accordance with the constitution,” he said.

 

Pressure had been mounting on the President to make public the report on the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence after the Emile Short Commission of Enquiry presented it six months ago.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) had raised such concerns over and over, accusing the president of ignoring the principles of transparency and accountability by refusing to publish the report.

One of the members of the party who expressed discontent on this issue is the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George.

Recently, he stated that he was strongly convinced that President Akufo-Addo does not want to publish the report as an attempt to cover up its ‘damning’ nature.