The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has expressed dissatisfaction over the withdrawal of soldiers attached to his office.
A statement issued by the Office of the Speaker has described the withdrawal as untenable and a bad precedent.
It indicated if it is an attempt to gag the Speaker, this move will serve to only widen the gap between the legislature and the other arms of government.
“It also hints at the possibility of a plot to place the safety and security of the Speaker in harm’s way,” the statement added.
A letter from the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Major General NP Andoh, to the Speaker ordered the withdrawal of four military personnel.
The soldiers; WO1 Jafaru Bunwura, WOII Apugiba Awine David, S/Sgt Agbley Prosper and Sgt. Bonney Prince had been serving the office since January 2021.
But the statement said the attachment was done without proper procedure.
The withdrawal, therefore, is to allow the attachment to be regularised.
The office has further raised concerns over the motive for the withdrawal.
“The unknown reason for such a move is puzzling, but the real motive should be obvious to all objective observers of the political scene in Ghana,” it bemoaned.
Read the full statement below:
RT. HON. SPEAKER, ALBAN S.K. BAGBIN, STRIPPED OFF SECURITY COVER
The office of the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Alban S.K. Bagbin, has taken note of the withdrawal of four military officers posted to assist in the protection of the Speaker.
The attempt to strip the Speaker off security protection is untenable.
In a country that takes pride in its democratic institutions and processes, the decision to reduce the number of security personnel assigned to the Speaker detracts from the political gains that Ghana has made, and is a bad precedent.
The unknown reason for such a move is puzzling, but the real motive should be obvious to all objective observers of the political scene in Ghana.
If it is an attempt to gag the Speaker, this move will serve to only widen the gap between the legislature and the other arms of government. It also hints at the possibility of a plot to place the safety and security of the Speaker in harm’s way.
The citizens of this country yearned for an effective separation of powers as well as check and balance, and voted to have a hung Parliament.
They are looking for a lot more consultation, consensus building and dialogue. This move contrasts with that and certainly is a bad precedent.
In decisions such as these, we must ensure that we are guided by the overall interest of this country and the sustenance of our democracy and its institutions.
