Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Wa East Constituency in the Upper West Region, has called on the Ministers of Defence and the National Security to restore the security arrangements originally put in place for the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin without any further delay.
He asked Dominic Nitiwul and Albert Kan-Dapaah, the Ministers of Defence and National Security respectively to take urgent steps to restore the soldiers immediately to ensure his safety and security,” he stressed.
The call follows communication of withdrawal of soldiers assigned to the Office of the Speaker of Parliament by a letter dated January 11, 2022, and signed by the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Major General Nicholas Peter Andoh.
The letter read: “It is humbly requested that the personnel are withdrawn with effect from January 14, 2022 while efforts are made to regularise their attachment”.
Subsequent revelation from the Clerk of Parliament shows all steps and procedures for the assignment of soldiers to the Speaker were followed.
The officers, Warrant Officer Class1 Jafaru Bunwura, Warrant Officer Class II David Apugiba Awine, Sargent Prosper Agbley and Sargent Prince Bonney were assigned to the Office of the Speaker since the assumption of office by Mr Bagbin in January 2021, and they have since provided watertight security to the Speaker.
Making the call during a tour of his constituency to assess various development oriented infrastructural projects as part of his official duties to also interact with his constituents, Dr Jasaw observed that with a hung Parliament and recent tensions in Parliament, the withdrawal of the military detail would compromise the safety and security of the Speaker of Parliament and needed to be restored because it was needless.
Dr Jasaw indicated that, the unique 8th Parliament required that special arrangements were in place to preserve the security and safety of Mr Bagbin and the withdrawal of the soldiers was needless and calculated to put him at high risk which was unfortunate.
“The withdrawal of the military detail of Mr Bagbin reflects a deliberate denigration and weakening of state institutions under the Akufo-Addo-led administration and the actions by the government are direct affront to the 1992 Constitution and only meant to erode public confidence in our democracy.
“It is no surprise that Ghana’s rank on the World Democracy Index 2020 reduced from 54th position with a score of 6.75 in 2016 to 59th position with a score of 6.50 in 2020, I reiterate the position of the leader of the Minority group we shall hold the president, Ministers of Defence and National Security accountable for any breach to the security and safety of the Speaker of Parliament,” Dr Jasaw decried. –citinewsroom.com
