Beginnings Of A Slide Into Indiscipline?

 
The Ghana Armed Forces issued a statement on Monday condemning the action of one of its soldiers who mis-conducted himself last weekend, by assaulting a traffic warden at Ritz Junction, Madina, in Accra.

Signed by the GAF Director of Public Relations, Colonel M. Atintande, the statement stressed that the military hierarchy took 'serious exception to such misconduct.'

'GAF, therefore, condemns the regrettable incident, and wishes to assure the public that appropriate action will be taken against him and any soldier who misconducts him or herself in a similar fashion,' it said.

The statement added that the unnamed soldier had rendered an 'unqualified apology' to the equally unnamed traffic warden.

The Chronicle was minded to leave the issue at the unqualified apology and assurance of appropriate action against the culprit stage, but it reminded us of a similar incident of assault by soldiers less than three months ago.

We recall that two military policemen reportedly slapped two photo-journalists from the state media at the 56 th Independence Day parade on March 6, 2013, after attacking them with flexible batons and electric shockers in their sensitive parts.

The Chief of Defence Staff apologised in person for that incident about three weeks ago, promising restitution, after a wrongful invocation of esprit de corps to shield the soldiers from blame ignited public outcry.

This latest assault on a traffic warden, another worker in the public interest, coming when the earlier assault on journalists is still fresh in memory is worrisome, because the status of the victim suggests that the culprit could be an officer or senior non-commissioned officer (NCO).

A traffic warden on duty at Ritz Junction could only have stopped or offended a soldier driving. Maybe the numerous peace-keeping operations have empowered some junior NCO to own cars, otherwise, only officers and senior NCOs could afford cars in the past.

Whatever the rank of the soldier, who assaulted the traffic warden, The Chronicle hopes that the two incidents of assaulting soldiers, within three months, do not signal a gradual slide into indiscipline by some soldiers.

That would be a most unfortunate derogation from the famed discipline of the Ghana Armed Forces.

That proud heritage suffered quite a substantial bashing during the days of impunity of misguided coups and counter-coups. It is regrettable and condemnable that indiscipline seems to be rearing its ugly head 20 solid years into the Fourth Republic.

The Chronicle would urge the Military High Command to put its foot down firmly and nip this canker in the bud.

The proud tradition of the Ghana Armed Forces deserves nothing less.