CAPTAIN JABARI writes…

Read Time: 2 minutes

WITHDRAWAL OF MILITARY PERSONNEL ATTACHED TO THE SPEAKER

Going to social media, I chanced upon a letter addressed to the Office of the Right Honourable Speaker, withdrawing military personnel attached to his security. This move I see as very surprising and a little disappointed. Am a little disappointed because of the conduct of the military high Command, who have fallen for cheap politics but am not disappointed because we all know what the Npp government is capable of doing. This Npp gets whatever it wants by any means possible.

The said letter stated that the proper procedure was not followed, so I ask myself as a former military officer, that what is the procedure here. I tried to recollect all the procedures available in the military but I could not get one.

The military as a state institution follows traditions, cultures , rules and procedures. So for the military high command to tell us that the military with the Speaker did not follow procedure, I ask myself who is at fault here, is it the Speaker’s Office or the Military High Command, because I know the military personnel with the Speaker did not go there on their own free will.

We are in this same country that Chief Justice, EC Chair and some minister, have military detachment with them. So what procedure did they follow. Military personnel are deployed based on threat assessment report , among other factors. So please where are the threat assessment for these people mentioned above. I know as a fact the military have been providing security for some paramount chiefs in the country. I know the military have provided security for some Bishops in the country, so what makes the Speaker’s Office less.

My first question to the military is that is it the first time any speaker of Parliament have had military personnel.

How were these current military deployed to the current speaker.

The Speaker has been in office for a year, are they now realising the mistake in procedure.

My little concern is that why now. Why are the military doing that now, that there is so many manoeuvring in Parliament .

But I will like to remind the military of an event in history of the military, 2016 after the elections , military personnel both officers and men deserted their offices and own their own left for the Jubilee House to serve their political masters. This event is very key because then chief of Defense Staff, had his driver and body guard desert him for Jubilee House. These illegal deployment were later regularised by the military, there were no withdrawing or punishment.

Concluding, God forbid it happens, if these military men withdraw and there is an attempt on the life of the speaker, what will the military tell Ghanaian. Let stop the cheap politics.