The Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul will have to be summoned by parliament to answer questions relating to the safety of security officers in the country.
This has become necessary in the wake of constant deadly attacks on the lives of security personnel in line of duty.
In an interview with Joy News, a member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ashaiman Constituency, Ernest Norgbey, described the periodic shooting and killing of security officers as very unfortunate.
According to him, it is worrying to witness officers, especially the police, who are supposed to clamp down on criminals, protect lives and ensure safety of citizens, rather falling victim to barbaric attacks.
His comments follow reports of a broad day shooting incident at Lapaz in Accra Thursday, July 13 where two police officers were gunned down by armed robbers.
The criminals reportedly shot the two officers, Daniel Owusu and Djibril Alhassan who were trying to apprehend them using motorbikes at close range.
Daniel Owusu who was shot multiple times died shortly after he was rushed to a nearby hospital whiles Djibril according to a statement from the Accra Police Command is in a stable condition.
This is not the first attack on the lives of police officers in the country this year.
Recently, a Police officer, Michael Kporye, was also killed by robbers at Tulaku near Michel Camp in the Greater Accra Region when he was on night patrol duties.
A Lance Corporal was also shot dead near Dawadawa, on the Buipe-Kintampo stretch of the highway by his colleagues after they mistook him for an armed robber.
All these attacks, according to Mr. Norgbey call for worry, hence the need for the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament to invite the Defence Minister for questioning and to deliberate on how best to protect the lives of police officers.
“We’ll need to protect our personnel especially the police because they’re to be seen protecting the citizens so that they’ll be able to go about their economic activities for the country to be able to develop. We have to call the Interior Minister so we’ll be able to see whether it is logistics we have to provide to these personnel,” he reemphasized.
He, however called on the police service to equip its officers and provide protective bulletproof jackets to the officers so as to save them from the unnecessary killings.
