We will start carrying guns – Apaak

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has served notice that Minority members of the House will arm themselves as a protective measure henceforth.

His comment followed reports that Parliament recruited a private firm whose members were alleged to be drawn from the dreaded vigilante groups affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) such as the Invisible Forces, Delta Forces among others to provide MPs protection.

“You go and bring Invisible Forces and when we are saying it, you say people are talking about rumours. We shall see. We are all here. We will all start carrying guns. When we hear gun fight here we will come,” Dr. Apaak, who is a former presidential staffer, said.

The acting Public Affairs Director of Parliament, Kate Addo confirmed to Starr News last month that Parliament recruited new security personnel and were undergoing training to familiarize with how Parliament works.

She denied claims that the recruits were drawn from vigilante forces affiliated to the governing NPP.

“It is true that Parliament, before we went on recess, had augmented the number of Policemen in Parliament. But it’s also true that it had employed new security men who are being trained about how Parliament works and who are being familiarized with the various surroundings of Parliament,” she stated on Starr Today on January 29, 2018.

She added: “In the past few weeks over the weekend these young men have been coming for various orientations and physical training programme in Parliament…now the Saturday’s training coincided with the special sitting of the House where the Rt. Honourable Speaker was sworn in as acting president of the Republic of Ghana following the absence from the jurisdiction of president Akufo-Addo.

“That explained why they were there [but] as to whether they belong to a particular political party or not I’d not be able to speak to that but I do not know that. But, what I can tell you is that they have been employed by parliament.”