Prof. Kwesi Aning, Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs & Research, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre says Members of Parliament have not worked hard enough to demonstrate security matters to them.
His comments come on the back of a decision by the Ministry of Interior to provide parliamentarians with personal bodyguards.
This came about as a result of the murder of Mfantseman MP Ekow Quansah Hayford who died after being shot by robbers.
Mr Aning speaking on Joy FM's Newsfile said the decision to provide them security has received mixed reactions because of how they have responded to security in general of the entire populace.
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"Do they (MPs) deserve what they are demanding? I think they haven't worked hard enough to reflect and demonstrate to Ghanaians that their security matters to them. Last week one member of parliament said people are envious and that is why they don't want security provided for them, no Ghanaian forced someone to be an MP they came out to campaign. The Interior Minister's point about the Parliamentary protection unit is a very good point, the question is what has resulted in this Parliamentary protection unit not being retooled or equipped and that is a general reflection of Parliament's weakness when it comes to security"
The Minister for Interior Ambrose Dery has announced during the week that all Members of Parliament will be given personal bodyguards to protect them.
He also announced that henceforth some 200 police personnel will be deployed to Parliament to protect individual MPs.
"We have been abreast with happenings in parliament which resulted in my invitation to come and talk on the floor about measures put in place to protect Members of Parliament. First of all, I want you to note that security for Parliamentarians has always been the principle. From 1992 we had the Parliamentary Protection Unit of the Police Service here. What has remained over the years is the extent to which the security has been provided which relates to the capacity of the agencies to do so among others. I want you to understand that protection of parliamentarians is part of the general national security architecture which is being taken care off by a number of strategies put in place. However so far the extent has been limited, the security at parliament has always there but when we leave we have no protection. When you look at the category of persons given bodyguards, residential protection by the police for day and night they fall in the group that we deal with in Article 71 and so the security is part of the facilities available to members of parliament. What we have proposed is that between now and the end of the year we are going to provide additional 200 police personnel to be part of parliamentary security but ideally, we would have 800 personnel so they provide the MP with security for day and night"
Ambrose Dery speaking to the media after the meeting said plans are in place to improve security and there is a need to protect Members of Parliament.
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