Restore Speaker’s Security Details- MP for Wa East urges Defence Minister
The Member of Parliament for Wa East, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw has called on the Ministries for Defence and the National Security to as a matter of national interest reinstate the Military security details that have been withdrawn from the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Bagbin.
According to him, the Speaker followed all due processes in securing the guards from the armed forces and withdrawing them posed security concerns as the Speaker is not from the ruling governing party.
Dr Jasaw calls come days after the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in a statement said the Speaker’s military guards were deployed without due process.
The government has also justified the withdrawal of the soldiers claiming that they are not supposed to be part of the Speaker’s security detail.
But Speaking to EXPRESSNEWSGHANA, Dr Jasaw condemned the government act and called on the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul and the Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah to act swtfly to reinstate the four Military officers that have been withdrawn from the Speaker security without further delay.
He further pointed out that the current nature of the Hung-Parliament, amid political uncompromising and lack of consensus on matters in the august House, the security of the Speaker must be of a concern.
“With a hung parliament and recent tensions in parliament, I believes the withdrawal of the military detail will compromise the safety and security of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.”
“This unique 8th parliament requires that special arrangements are in place to preserve the security and safety of the Speaker of Parliament, the withdrawal of the men is needless and calculated to put Mr. Speaker at high risk”, Dr Jasaw stated.
He added that “in view of the fact that the Speaker has not breached any law in accessing the Military support to his security”, and that the withdrawal was highly politically motivated.
“The withdrawal of the military detail of Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin reflects a deliberate denigration and weakening of state institutions under the Akufo Addo’s Government, further reinforcing the confrontational nature of the President. “The actions by the President are a direct affront to the 1992 Constitution and only meant to erode public confidence in our democracy. It is therefore no surprise that Ghana’s rank on the World Democracy Index 2020 reduced from 54th position with score of 6.75 in 2016 to 59th position with score of 6.50 in 2020,”Dr Jasaw contended.
“The actions by the President are a direct affront to the 1992 Constitution and only meant to erode public confidence in our democracy. It is therefore no surprise that Ghana’s rank on the World Democracy Index 2020 reduced from 54th position with score of 6.75 in 2016 to 59th position with score of 6.50 in 2020,”Dr Jasaw contended.
He cautioned the government not to play down the significance of building consensus under the hung parliament amid a deepening standoff between the Majority and the Minority over the E-levy and other government policies.
A series of bills, including the E-levy, has been left unattended amid a political standoff over whether it should be considered under the certificate of urgency or not.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) had said that the four soldiers who have been withdrawn from Mr Bagbin were attached to the office without proper procedure.
This resulted in the decision to withdraw them while efforts are made to regularise their attachment, a statement said.
“The under-named military personnel were attached to the Office of the Rt Honourable Speaker of Parliament without the proper procedure,” the statement signed by the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, NP Andoh to the Speaker said.
“It is humbly requested that the personnel are withdrawn with effect from 14 January 2022 while efforts are made to regularise their attachment,” the statement concluded.
Source: expressnewsghana.com
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