Former Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini, has called on aspiring public officers to strictly uphold the law, especially in the context of recent events involving Ernest Frimpong, the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East.

Mr Frimpong was seen in a viral video urging small-scale miners to attack military officers who disrupt their operations on various concessions.

This incident, which also involved the Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, who chairs the Regional Security Council, led to Mr Frimpong's arrest following demands from civil society groups.

In an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on June 15, Mr. Fuseini emphasised the critical importance of obeying the law by those in or seeking public office.

He condemned Frimpong's actions, stating, “It is totally wrong to send a signal to wrongdoers that they can go on that path if you are a public officer or seeking public office.”

He stressed that "public officers must always uphold the sanctity of the law."

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Earlier, Mr Frimpong had defended himself by claiming that his comments were taken out of context from a two-hour discussion with artisanal small-scale miners, who he said were being harassed.

He insisted that he did not endorse illegal mining or encourage miners to fight military personnel.

Mr Fuseini, however, underscored the gravity of undermining military authority, while highlighting the military's adherence to operational rules.

"When they [military] go on any site, they demand to see the license with which a person is mining. It is only when they are satisfied that that person has no license, that they act. That is the beginning of the rule of law," the former lawmaker added.