The Ministry for National Security has indicated that it had neither withdrawn the security detail for the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, nor reduced the security strength of Parliament.
On the contrary, “all requisite resources, including logistics and personnel required for the full protection of the Speaker, have been provided,” the Ministry indicated in a statement it released last Saturday.
The Ministry has, thus, called on Ghanaians to disregard any speculation purporting that the security detail for the Speaker and Parliament has been withdrawn.
The Ministry’s communication was necessitated by an earlier letter to the Office of the Speaker requesting the withdrawal of four military personnel who were providing security for the Speaker, Alban S.K. Bagbin, a letter that didn’t sit well with the Office of the Speaker and eventually got leaked on social media.
The said letter, dated January 11, 2022 and signed by Major General N.P. Andoh, Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, indicated that the four personnel were attached to the Speakers Office “without proper procedure.”
Major General Andoh stated in his letter that WOII Apugiba Awine David, S/Sgt Agbley Prosper, WO1 Jafaru Bunwura and Sgt. Bonney Prince were attachment to Mr Bagbin’s office since he assumed office on January 7, last year, was improper and hence the need to withdraw and regularise their attachment.
“The under-named military personnel were attached to the Office of the Right Honourable Speaker of Parliament without the proper procedure…It is humbly requested that the personnel are withdrawn with effect from 14 January, 2022 while efforts are made to regularise their attachment,” the letter stated.
But the Office of the Speaker, not convinced about the reasons for the withdrawal of these military men who have been providing protection for Speaker Bagbin since he assumed office on January 7 last year, responded that “the attempt to strip the Speaker off security protection is untenable. In a country that takes pride in its democratic institutions and processes, the decision to reduce the number of security personnel assigned to the Speaker detracts from the political gains that Ghana has made, and is a bad precedent.”
The letter continued that “the unknown reason for such a move is puzzling, but the real motive should be obvious to all objective observers of the political scene in Ghana. If it is an attempt to gag the Speaker, this move will serve to only widen the gap between the legislature and the other arms of government. It also hints at the possibility of a plot to place the safety and security of the Speaker in harm’s way.”
It also stated that the reason Ghanaians voted for a hung parliament was because they wanted an effective system of separation of powers where there is more consultations and dialogue hence the attempt to rip the speaker of security protection is the direct opposite of what Ghanaians voted for.
“The citizens of this country yearned for an effective separation of powers as well as check and balance, and voted to have a hung Parliament. They are looking for a lot more consultation, consensus building and dialogue. This move contrasts with that and certainly is a bad precedent. In decisions such as these, we must ensure that we are guided by the overall interest of this country and the sustenance of our democracy and its institutions.”
The Ministry of National Security however, explained in their statement that the security of the Speaker and Parliament has always been provided by the Ghana Police Service and not GAF. It said that a need for a specific agency support is typically executed on a need-basis in accordance with stated protocols.
“Ghana Armed Forces do not form part of the security detail for the Speaker and Parliament as Parliamentary security support is provided by the Ghana Police Service and that a need for specific agency support is typically executed on a need-basis in accordance with stated protocols.”
The Ministry also posited that for the first time since 2017, the security arrangements for both the Speaker and Members of Parliament have been significantly enhanced and hence entreated the public to disregard the unfounded speculation.
