Withdrawal of Bagbin’s military guards shameful, politically motivated – Minority

The Minority in Parliament has described the withdrawal of the Speaker’s military bodyguard by the Ghana Armed Forces as politically motivated.

According to Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, the Speaker followed all due processes in securing the guards from the armed forces.

It comes after the Ghana Armed Forces in a statement said the Speaker’s military guards were deployed without due process.

Government has also justified the withdrawal of the soldiers saying they are not supposed to be part of the Speaker’s security detail.

However, in a statement, the Minority said they will hold President Akufo-Addo responsible if anything happens to the Speaker as a result of the action.

“It is pertinent to note that the only reason given for the shameful withdrawal of Mr Speaker’s security detail is that the attachment was done without following the proper procedure. Curiously, the government fails and/ or omits to spell out the procedure for the attachment of military personnel to high profile personalities such as the speaker of Parliament. If the action of the military high command is in good faith, the irregularity in relation to the attachment could be rectified without necessarily having to withdraw the personnel,” the Minority said.

The statement also noted it is shameful for the government to withdraw the soldiers when state officers below the rank of the Speaker have military bodyguards.

Below are details of the Minority Statement

STATEMENT BY THE PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS OF THE NDC ON THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE MILITARY SECURITY DETAIL OF THE SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT, RT. HON ALBAN BAGBIN BY THE NANA AKUFO ADDO LED GOVERNMENT.

The Minority in Parliament is saddened and strongly denounce the withdrawal by President Akufo-Addo’s government of the military detail attached to the office of the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin with effect from the 14th January, 2022. It is pertinent to note that the only reason given for the shameful withdrawal of Mr Speaker’s security detail is that the attachment was done without following the proper procedure. Curiously, the government fails and/ or omits to spell out the procedure for the attachment of military personnel to high profile personalities such as the speaker of Parliament.

If the action of the military high command is in good faith, the irregularity in relation to the attachment could be rectified without necessarily having to withdraw the personnel.

The only logical conclusion a reasonable mind would draw with respect to the failure of government to indicate the nature of the procedure supposedly breached by Mr Speaker’s outfit is that proper procedure was followed for which reason the military high command had no difficulty attaching the military personnel in question to his office. Indeed, the Clerk to Parliament on the 21st January, 2021 did write to the chief of staff of the Armed Forces and duly requested the attachment of the military personnel in question. At this point, the chief of staff did not detect any procedural irregularities in relation to Mr Speaker’s request.However, one year on the same chief of staff who on behalf of the military high command granted the request now wants Ghanaians to believe that he acted in error in the first instance? The posturing of the chief of staff in this regard is to say the least preposterous.

The minority states further without any equivocation that the attachment of military personnel to the office of the speaker is not an isolated incident at all. For instance, members of the executive branch of government other than the president and Vice President who are below the speaker of Parliament in terms of status and rank as provided for in the constitution have at various times had soldiers attached to their offices. A notable example is the current Attorney General and Minister for Justice who, even as deputy Attorney General had a soldier for his bodyguard.

Another example of a state official below the speaker in terms of status and rank who roams town with military protection is the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, madam Jean Mensah.

Flowing from the above, the minority is certain that the action of the military high command relative to the withdrawal of Mr Speaker’s security detail is politically motivated and calculated to diminish his confidence in his bid to impartially and independently steer the affairs of the legislative arm of government.

In the circumstances, the minority shall hold the government of President Akufo Addo responsible should the security of Rt. Hon Alban Bagbin, the speaker of Parliament be compromised in any way.

We further call for the immediate withdrawal of the letter with ref no: GH/ 1002/ 01/ COS written on behalf of the armed forces by the chief of staff and purporting to withdraw the military personnel attached to Mr Speaker’s office.

Signed: Minority leader, Hon Haruna Iddrisu.