Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed concerns about the poor state of security under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo.
His sentiments follow the withdrawal of some four military personnel by the Ghana Armed Forces’ detailed to the office of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
The withdrawn personnel are WO1 Jafaru Bunwura, WOII Apugiba Awine David, S/Sgt Agbley Prosper, and Sgt. Bonney Prince. They had been protecting the Speaker since January 2021.
In a letter addressed to Speaker Bagbin, the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), NP Andoh, said the four officers did not go through the right processes to be deployed to the Speaker’s office.
Reacting to the withdrawal of the military personnel from the Speaker’s office, Mr. Ablakwa raised concerns over how long it took for the GAF to realize that the four personnel were deployed without going through the right process.
According to the North Tongu lawmaker, such a flaw on the part of the Armed Forces raises doubts about the country’s security under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In a Facebook post on Monday, 17 January 2022, Mr. Ablakwa said: “If it takes a whole year for Ghana’s military high command to discover that their personnel have been deployed without ‘proper procedure’ to the Speaker’s office, what does that say about the state of security and integrity of leadership under Commander-in-Chief Akufo-Addo?”
He further quizzed: “Is the Rt. Hon. Speaker not better off without this kind of protection?” adding that “Ultimately, the best form of protection can only be guaranteed by the people we serve and the Lord Almighty.”
The letter to Mr. Bagbin said: “It is humbly requested that the personnel are withdrawn with effect from 14 January 2022 while efforts are made to regularise their attachment”.
