Deploying 200 armed police bodyguards for MPs an ambush on the citizens – Security Expert

Security and safety analyst, Adam Bona, has described the move by the government to deploy 200 police officers as armed bodyguards for Members of Parliament (MPs) as an ambush on the citizens.

“This amounts to something one will call a security ambush; where the MPs have decided to ambush Ghanaians who put them there. At the most critical moment they decided to ambush us and also throw it at our face and tell us that probably in the scheme of things even though sovereignty resides in the people, we don’t really, matter that much”. Adam Bona said this in an interview with GBC radio programme Behind the News monitored by MyNewsGH.com.

Government through the Interior Ministry on Tuesday as a matter of urgency provided 200 policemen to serve as bodyguards for Members of Parliament (MPs) who say they are living in fear following the murder of their colleague.

The Interior Minister Ambrose Dery speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corp said, “Due to the retooling of the security agencies by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the country has more security agencies and security personnel available. So we have proposed that, between now and the end of the year, we are going to provide an additional 200 police personnel to be part of the parliamentary protection unit. We are making this arrangement to ensure that the unit attains the status of divisional police command to take care of the Member of Parliament as bodyguards”.

However, responding to the issue on the state broadcaster, security analyst Mr. Bona sharply described the move as an “ambush on the citizens” because since it is an executive decision, citizens cannot do anything about it.

“When it comes to issues on their (MPs) interest, they stand shoulder to shoulder with the executive. But on issues relating to the provision of water, electricity, roads, health facilities to increase the citizens standard of living they work at slow pace”, Mr. Bona said.

“Where a community is being beaten by security by hoodlums and this becomes a security matter and we tend to raise it, you would see either the NPP is saying that no the police is doing well and the NDC if they are in opposition, will say that the police is not doing well”, he added.

He also questioned the government if the money paid to parliamentarians as security allowance is going to be withdrawn since they have now been provided with armed security guards