Thanks to Bagbin, a serving Colonel is Marshal of Parliament – Majority jabs

Bagbin is introducing soldiers into Parliament's security set up

A serving colonel is currently a Marshal of Parliament

Minority and Majority differ of withdrawal of Bagbin's soldiers

The Majority Caucus in Parliament has disclosed that there are serving military officers currently serving in Parliament at the behest of Speaker Alban Bagbin.

According to a statement they issued on January 17, 2022, in response to the Minority’s position on the withdrawal of military detail assigned to the Speaker, a serving colonel is currently a Marshal Parliament.

The last but one paragraph specifically addressing the issue of military deployments stated that it was a historic occurrence that Speaker Bagbin had opted to take.

“Rt. Hon. Bagbin is the only Speaker who has invited serving military officers to serve in Parliament. Parliament now has a serving Colonel as the Marshal of Parliament.

“This has never happened in the Parliament since 1957. If, in the opinion of the Speaker, the police have some deficiency, shouldn’t all of us work to cure any deficiency so detected?” the Majority quizzed.

The statement that among other things disclosed the extent of Bagbin’s security protection – 12 policemen in all – also lashed out at the Minority for claiming the withdrawal of the soldiers was politically motivated.

“Is it the case that they (Minority) consider that since the Rt. Hon. Bagbin is NDC he is there to do the bidding of the NDC and hence any critique of the Speaker or any action aimed at the Speaker is a critique of or an action against the NDC, and therefore should be considered as politically motivated?”

It emerged recently that the Military has written to the Speaker of Parliament informing him about the withdrawal of some four soldiers assigned to him.

The National Security Ministry justified the withdrawal stating that the security of the Speaker was the responsibility of the Police even though the Military had stated that they were only withdrawing the officers in order to regularize their deployment.

Since then, the Majority and Minority in Parliament have issued statements backing the withdrawal and criticizing it respectively.

Whilst the Minority insists that it was a case of Executive overreach and witch-hunt, the Majority have backed the move stating that Bagbin is the most protected Speaker of Parliament under the Fourth Republic.