Coalition Of Human Rights Groups Advocated

A number of civil right groups are considering the formation of a coalition to fight against human rights abuses in the country.

The coalition, they said, will serve as a pressure group to compel government to investigate cases of human right abuses, in view of government’s alleged failure to respond to numerous complaints of the abuses.

The groups, including Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Africa (CHRI), Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDHF), Centre for Popular Education and the Amnesty International made this known at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday to draw public attention to issues bothering on human rights violation in the country.

Nana Oye Lithur, Regional Coordinator of CHRI Africa, said the coalition will also serve as a monitoring agent and bring to light all human rights violations taking place in the country.

She said despite the numerous letters and petitions drawing the attention of the Attorney-General and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to address issues of fair trials guarantees being often flouted by police officers during arrests and detention, nothing has been done to arrest the situation.

Brutalities, she said, continue to undermine the security and protection of the Ghanaian populace.

The Ghana Police Service is often reported for being an instrument of force and oppression, using force and violence in an arbitrary and excessive manner, she stated.

Nana Lithur said CHRI has constantly monitored media reports and undertaken investigative missions, as a follow-up, but met stiff resistance from the police directorate to bring the perpetrators to book.

She cited the brutalities against the Anloga community and the Dansoman shooting among others.

She said as Wednesday, May 7, coincided with the day Ghana was presenting its human rights report to the United Nations Human Right Council, it was important to inform Ghanaians on what civil rights groups were doing to bring their sufferings to light.

Cobbinah Mac Darling, coordinator of the centre for Popular Education, presenting a paper, called for the recognition of gay and lesbians in the country so as to draw them from underground to the open .

He said societies, perception about lesbians and homosexuals as misfits must be changed.

Mr Darling also called on school authorities to rather offer counselling services to homosexuals and lesbians in schools instead of dismissing them.