Some victims of the 1979,1981 coups still calling me for reparations – Archbishop Palmer-Buckle

A member of the erstwhile National Reconciliation Commission, Archbishop Palmer Buckle, has described as disheartening how some victims and survivors of various human rights violations in Ghana, during unconstitutional regimes, never received any form of compensations from the government as directed by the Commission.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the delay, saying, some of the people who were not paid are still calling him for their monies and properties years after the commission presented its report.

“I am once in a while contacted by some people who are still bitter that they didn’t get justice, and I redirect them to the Attorney Generals Department…some said they didn’t get the money, others say, they didn’t get restitution for some properties that was taken….” Archbishop Palmer-Buckle, who is the Catholic Church’s Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, said.

The National Reconciliation Commission was established in January 2002 by the by the Kufuor administration.

Its goal was to establish an “accurate, complete and historical record of violations and abuses of human rights inflicted on persons by public institutions and holders of public office during periods of unconstitutional government.

The commission also looked into government abuses and military coups led by former President Jerry Rawlings in the 1979 and 1981 revolutions.

According to the Archbishop, 15-years after the commission ended its work, he still gets calls from some people who feel cheated and bitter about the reconciliation process.

Speaking in an interview on Joy News,monitored by The GhanaReport.Com, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said, he sometimes tries to convince such people who contact him to let it go and focus on their lives

“If we said at the time that you should be given GH₵ 5million which is now GHC 500 it will be a token, what are you going to do with it, you’ve survived without it up till now, what makes you think you can’t go without it” he quizzed.

He advised all survivors and victims who are bitter about the turn of event to “put away all the bitterness in your heart.”

“Go and ask, if they give it to you fine. But if not, please don’t look at it as if it is the last straw on the flood that if you don’t clutch at you will drown” he said.