The recent murder of the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Mfantseman constituency, Ekow Quansah has revived the long-standing debate as to whether MPs need to be provided security details or not.
This has caused a division in the public space and security expert, Col Festus Boahen Aboagye (Rtd) who is saddened by the death of the MP has however shared his disagreement to the demand by MPs for their personal security details.
According to him, we live in a country where drivers, mobile phone vendors and others fall victim to various degrees of crime with others being murdered. “Not only MPs and Police officers are killed. It is not fair to say MPs are more important than the ordinary Ghanaian. It is wrong to say that and this has become a moral argument”.
He passed these comments in an interview with Happy 98.9 FM’s Samuel Eshun, host of the Happy Morning Show.
He motioned that it was unfair for MPs to hold the government hostage by saying they will not pass bills if the government refuses to accept their demand for security details and described such a demand as “a bit selfish”.
On his authority, Ghanaian MPs receive higher pays compared to the ordinary Ghanaian and if they really need personal security details, then, “they should use their own money to protect themselves”.
He advised legislators to rather focus on promoting security in the country to ensure the safety of all Ghanaians which would automatically cover them (MPs).
Members of the Ghanaian Parliament have renewed their call for personal security details after the killing of the MP for Mfantseman Constituency, Ekow Quansah Hayford.
The NPP MP was shot dead by assailants at the Abeadze Dominase – Abeadze Duadzi – Mankessim Road on his return from a campaign trip. He is believed to have been attacked at about 1:00 am Friday morning by 6 armed highway robbers.
By: Joel Sanco
