Soldiers in Parliament did not pose an existential danger – Lloyd Amoah

The Founding Director of the University of Ghana Centre for Asian Studies Dr Lloyd Amoah has said the presence of the military in the chamber of Parliament during the election of a Speaker for the 8th Parliament did not pose any danger.

He stated that the army is part of the civil order in the country.

Military men stormed the chamber following a stalemate between MPs-elect for the NDC and NPP sides while they were electing a new Speaker of the House.

Some Ghanaians including former President John Dramani Mahama condemned the intervention of the military and called for thorough investigations into the matter.

“The recent use of the military in civil democratic processes has become a major worry and gives the impression that this administration is continually seeking to resurrect the exorcised ghosts of our military past. Parliament must conduct an investigation into the two incidents and exact appropriate sanctions,” the President Candidate of the NDC in the last elections said in a tweet.

Dr Lloyd Amoah in a Facebook post said “The mere use of soldiers on the floor of parliament does not by itself pose an existential danger. The army is part of the civil order. Pay attention.”

Meanwhile, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Ningo Prampram lawmaker Samuel Nartey George has accused Defence Minister who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Bimbila, Dominic Nitiwul, of being the brain behind the military invasion of parliament when chaos occurred during the election of a new speaker for the 8th parliament on January 7.

Sam George said on the Key Points programme on TV3 Saturday January 9 that Mr Nitiwul who he descried as a former Defence Minister, kept telling the NDC’s side of the House that if they did not behave well, he was going to order the Military to come in.

But, he said, they replied him saying, ‘he did not have the power to do so.’

He told host of the programme Abena Tabi that “Whiles we were in the House the former Minister of Defence Dominic Nitiwul kept on telling us that if we did not behave ourselves he was going to bring in the military and we kept telling him he had no power to do so.”

Former Member of Parliament for Tempane and a Deputy Attorney General, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, said the military intervened when there was a need for them to do so.

He said the military exhibited professionalism when they entered the chamber to douse the tension.

“A certain situation invited the military into the system. When they got into the chamber what was their conduct? Did they attack MPs? Did they beat MPs? No.

“You may condemn their entry but their conduct was professional,” he said on the Key Points.