Editorial: The President's Security

The horrific state of not only the President's car, but also the "offending" car, not to mention the fact that the President's car reportedly somersaulted three times, attest to the fact that President Kufuor and the nation have a great deal to thank God for.

Given the gravity of the accident it is no surprise that the country now abounds in all sorts of stories and rumours about what happened on what could easily have been a black Wednesday for the nation.

And conspiracy theories are of course in the forefront of the speculation.

Not surprisingly, the FM radio station serial callers are in their element. There are even some who claim they foresaw the accident or dreamt about it.

Speaking on Peace FM a few hours after the accident, one woman even made the astounding claim that she knew who was behind the accident.

It is natural that people should be alarmed because of the circumstances of the accident and its seriousness. But surely, it does not help for people to be allowed to make such serious allegations on radio.

It is suggested that radio programme hosts should direct callers who claim to have such vital information to the police investigators.

Until police investigations are completed, speculation should not be turned into fact.

Neither does it help if all of us give in to paranoia.

However, the accident certainly raises a number of highly disturbing, haunting questions, especially about the effectiveness of the presidential motorcade arrangement.

After all, the motorcade is put in place because of security concerns.

No doubt a huge, comprehensive investigation is already under way – or should be – with a view to overhauling the whole system.

But as laypersons, we are haunted by the fact that after the accident, it took bystanders, the ubiquitous street traders, to not only to right the President's upturned car, but also to pull him out of the wreck, to safety.

Where were the rear security people while strangers' hands, but fortunately in this case friendly hands, were helping the President out of the wreckage?

And granted that on hearing the motorcade's siren everybody is supposed to stop and give it passage, was there a 'Plan B' in case somebody couldn't or wouldn't stop – as happened on Wednesday, November 14?

Surely, it is because of such emergencies, and the God-forbid danger, that there is a motorcade in the first place. There should be no room for loose ends or complacency regarding the President's security.