Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a Governance Lecturer at the Central University, has advised Ghanaians who tend to flex their muscles on officers of the Ghana Police Service to be wary of their actions.
Dr. Otchere-Ankrah asked the citizenry to respect the Police to avoid unforeseen circumstances.
His counsel comes on the heels of recent shootings at Nkoranza in the Bono East Region.
The youth of Nkoranza, on Tuesday, May 17, clashed with the Police in the community over the death of an alleged robbery suspect, Albert Donkor.
The youth burnt car tyres on the streets of Nkoransa to register their displeasure over the mysterious death of the suspect who they believe is an innocent 27-year-old businessman.
The irate protesters' action called for a response from the Police who exhibited it in firing warning shots to disperse them, reportedly resulting in the death of a member of the protesters and several others sustaining gunshot wounds.
Following the incident, the Ghana Police Service has indicated in a statement that the Inspector General Police (IGP) has "constituted a high-powered delegation led by COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, the Director-General/Administration to visit Nkoranza" for "further engagement with all stakeholders" in order to restore calm in the community and among the angry youth.
Contributing to Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme Thursday morning, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah expressed his disappointment in the turn of events at Nkoranza.
He condemned the actions of both parties - the youth and the Police - as he wondered why any person should die or be injured over the deceased suspect.
Much as he reprehends the Police for shooting into the agitated crowd, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah however was alarmed over the behavior of the youth towards the Police personnel because, to him, it was needless of them to have confronted the Police.
He urged the youth and all Ghanaians to stop daring Police officers, warning that death isn't something to play with because one cannot recover from it.
"When you meet a Police officer wielding a gun and he insults you, just thank him and go your way," he advised.
