Ashanti Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has backed Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson after she admitted to firing a gun at a voters registration centre.
“I realised the lives of my people were in danger. So I wanted to scare the people. I fired the warning shots. I didn’t direct it at anybody,” Hawa Koomson said on radio in defense to why she fired the shots.
She insisted, ”I’m a Member of Parliament, I need to protect myself. It was at dawn, my police escort had not started work yet. So that is a mechanism I have adopted in his absence’.”
Several groups and persons have called for her sack after the incidence including chairman of the National Peace Council Rev Emmanuel Asante.
Policy thinkthank, Imani Ghana boss Franklin Cudjoe further dared President Akufo Addo to sack her or lose his friendship.
Howver, Sam Pyne believes Hawa Koomson did no wrong by firing a gun as he insists she has absolute right to defend herself if she sensed her life was in danger.
Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo he said, “the country’s laws make provision for people to defend themselves when they sense their lives are under threat” that could lead to death……”who among the critics will not protect him or herself if somebody threatens to do something lethal against him or her?”
He added, ”Ghana’s laws support that if you’re human or a Ghanaian and you perceive terror which could lead to your death, you have the right to protect yourself. It’s a legal provision; you have the right to protect yourself. Secondly, if she indeed fired the gunshots, did she direct it at a human being or rather shoot into the air to warn her attackers? Also, does she have the right to own a gun? Yes, she has the right because the government has made provision through the security agencies for the Ministers and other appointees to have some sort of protection.”
Source: GhanaFeed.com
