Withdrawal of Bagbin's military detail means he's being taught a lesson - Manasseh

Award-winning investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has said that it will not be out of place to conclude that the withdrawal of soldiers guarding the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin is a way of reminding him that there is an office more powerful than his.

For Mr Azure Awuni it is untenable that offices lower than to that of the Speaker enjoy the services of the military serving as guards while the military detail of Alban Bagbin has been withdrawn with an explanation by the National Security that those soldiers do not form part of the security detail of Speakers of Parliament.

In an article titled “Why the withdrawal of Bagbin’s military detail is sinister”, Mr Azure Awuni found the explanations by the Ghana Armed Forces and the National Security on the withdrawal of Bagbin’s military detail as contradictory and hence not credible. In his opinion, the withdrawal has other motivations beyond the explanations given.

“It is safe to connect the dots and conclude someone is being reminded that there is a greater power than the Office of the Speaker of Parliament. Someone is being reminded that many more privileges could be caused to erode from that office.

If that wasn’t the case, why would the office of a deputy minister or chairperson of the Electoral Commission deserve military attachment, while the Office of the Speaker, who is third after the president and vice-president, doesn’t? and would the military attachment have been withdrawn if Bagbin had been an NPP Speaker of Parliament?” He quizzed.

He stressed further that a disinterested party will likely conclude that the withdrawal of Bagbin’s military detail is not ordinary.

“Any objective watcher of these events won’t be wrong to conclude that there are sinister motives in the withdrawal of the Speaker’s military attaché. And the conflicting messages from the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ministry of National Security have not helped to dispel this,” he wrote.

Following the withdrawal of Bagbin’s military detail by the Office of the Chief of Staff, the Ghana Armed Forces explained that it was to enable them to follow the proper procedure for detailing officers to protect the speaker while the National Security explained that soldiers do not form part of the security detail of Speakers.

The issue has continued to generate controversy.

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