A senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Seidu Alidu, has averred that the security detail of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, must be kept secret and not be bandied about in the public domain as is the case in recent times.
According to him, the security details of the heads of the three arms of government should remain unknown.
In an interview with Accra-based Joy FM on Monday, January 17, Dr. Seidu Alidu intimated that already the president (Nana Akufo-Addo), as well as the Vice President’s (Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia) security detail, was shrouded in secrecy thus similar courtesies must be extended to the Speaker.
“I don’t know in military terms how the Speaker’s bodyguards or security detail should be and who should be in and who shouldn’t be in. I even think under normal circumstances, this should have been top secret. We don’t know how many people are contained in the president’s security detail…their composition…the vice president [as well] their composition and the Speaker’s…because this should be a top-level secret,” he said.
The issue of Alban Bagbin’s security details has become topical in recent weeks after the Chief of Defense Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Major General N. P. Andoh, in a letter to the Speaker on January 11 requested the withdrawal of four military officers attached to his office.
He maintained that the officers, WOII Apugiba Awine David, S/Sgt Agbley Prosper, WO1 Jafaru Bunwura and Sgt. Bonney Prince’s were deployed “without the proper procedure”.
The Minority have since raised red flags about the withdrawal of the military men stating that it was an attempt by the government to put the Speaker in harm’s way.
They also believe it is an attempt to gag the speaker and compel him to do the bidding of the government.
On the contrary, however, the Majority group has refuted assertions that the move is politically motivated.
They emphasize that Speaker, Alban Bagbin, is a beneficiary of the “largest number of security personnel… that none of the previous Speakers had.”
