South Dayi Member of Parliament (MP), Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has said that the directive issued by the Inspector-General of Police to the bodyguards of Members of Parliament (MPs) on carrying weapons at Assin North is unconstitutional.
Dr George Akuffo Dampare directed all bodyguards of MPs and other state officials who will be in Assin North in the Central Region for Tuesday’s bye-elections to hand over their weapons.
They are not to carry such rifles with them, the IGP ordered on Monday, June 26, less than 24 hours to the polls.
The directive comes after a crunch meeting between leadership of the Ghana Police Service and the political parties as well as the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) on Monday.
The IGP, who led the police at the meeting, issued the directive to the bodyguards immediately afterwards, asking them to submit the weapons to the armourer of the nearest police station within the Assin North Constituency.
They are also alternatively to submit the weapons to the Police Election Command Centre at Assin Breku.
“Such weapons can only be collected after the election and upon specific directives to do so,” the IGP stated in a correspondence to the bodyguards.
“Bodyguards are not to carry their side arms (pistol) to polling stations and collation centres,” he further directed.
“Punitive action shall be taken against anyone who disregards this instruction or fails to comply with this directive issued by the Inspector General of Police.”
But Mr Dafeamekpor told journalists that “bodyguards attached to MPs are part of their conditions of service. The IGP has no power to vary the conditions of service of a sitting MP in the same way he has no power to vary the conditions of service of a superior court judge in this republic.”
“So for him to issue a statement and say that Police bodyguards of MPs should surrender their weapons to the nearest Police Station is unlawful and unconstitutional,” he stated.
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