PNDC Govt never ordered murder of judges

The MP for Zebilla, Hon. John Ndebugre has said that Ghanaians ought to recognize that the abduction and murder of the three high court judges on June 30th 1982 was not carried out on behalf of an institution. And that the crime was not committed as a result of a government policy, and that he is saying it on authority because he was part of the government at that time.

He said as a member of the then government, he was not aware that at any specific meeting of any of the government organs, it was decided that some three high court judges and a retired major should be abducted and murdered. Hon. John Ndebugre said this in Parliament last Thursday when he contributed to a statement on the kidnapping and murder of the judges and army officer. He explained that even if any member of the PNDC were involved in the event, they were involved not as members of the institution of PNDC, but as individuals.

The event, he mentioned happened at the behest of certain individuals and not at the instances of the PNDC government.

Hon. Ndebugre who served as Secretary for Northern Region in the erstwhile PNDC government argued that it is time for the nation to bury the hatchet, because the incident has divided the country into two, “One group is accusing the other, and the other group is on the defensive”.

“If we all agree that it was neither an act of government nor that of a political party, then there is no need for anybody to accuse or be on the defensive”, he said, adding that all must accept that the incident was a very unfortunate one.

Making the statement, Hon. K.K. Mensah, MP for Amansie West Constituency said he recalled the incident as a means of reminding Ghanaians that our collective security and survival can only be guaranteed by a civilian constitutional rule. He declared, “The constitution guarantees respect for fundamental human rights, especially the right to life and the right to believe in anything one prefers”. Hon. Mensah contended that the Justices who were killed are true martyrs, because they perished in the line of duty.

He called on all Ghanaians to work in concert to protect the constitution from adventurers who will seek to throw the country into dark forest of mayhem and chaos.

Hon. Benjamin Kumbour, MP for Lawra, pointed out that the day will always prick the conscience of Ghanaians, because that day is a very sad one in terms of human rights and the rule of law in the country.

He complained that the nation appeared not to have learn anything from the tragic event, because even today the value of human life in Ghana is given little respect and for that reason, over 40 people and the Ya Na died. He urged Ghanaians to remove political dimensions away from the event and to realize that human life is sacred regardless of whether the person is a judge or simply a man on the street.