The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has described President John Dramani Mahama’s delay in appointing a substantive Minister for Defence, nearly three months after the passing of Dr. Edward Omane Boama, as “dangerous and reckless.”
He cautioned that the continued vacancy at the Ministry poses serious threats to Ghana’s territorial integrity and national security, at a time when regional instability and internal insecurity are on the rise.
Rev. Fordjour expressed deep concern over what he termed “a dangerous gamble” by the government, citing a surge in violent incidents and unrest across parts of the country.
“At a time when the security of our country is on a path of rapid deterioration from Gbenyiri and Sampa to Bawku, and illegal mining zones with over 23,000 citizens reportedly fleeing to neighbouring countries as refugees, this dangerous inaction is simply unacceptable,” he said.
According to the Ranking Member, it is irresponsible for any government to leave such a critical ministry leaderless for this long, especially when cross-border tensions and internal security challenges continue to escalate.
“No serious country can run for three months without a substantive Defence Minister. Is there no competent individual within the NDC whom President Mahama can trust to fill the big shoes of my late honourable friend, Dr.Omane Boamah?” Rev. Fordjour queried.
He, therefore, urged President Mahama to act without further delay by appointing a capable and substantive Defence Minister to provide direction and leadership at the ministry.
“Our security institutions need firm political guidance to effectively retool the Ghana Armed Forces and defend our sovereignty.
“We demand the immediate appointment of a substantive Minister for Defence to lead the collective effort to protect the territorial integrity of our beloved nation,” he stressed.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
