Felix Kwakye Ofosu is former deputy minister of Communication
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, an aide to former President John Mahama, has described the justification mounted by government with regards to the decision by the military high command to withdraw soldiers providing security services to the Office of the Speaker, Alban Bagbin as flimsy and inhuman.
A recent letter from the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, NP Andoh to the Speaker said the four officers were attached ‘without proper procedure.’
The officers, WO1 Jafaru Bunwura, WOII Apugiba Awine David, S/Sgt Agbley Prosper and Sgt. Bonney Prince have been serving Bagbin’s office since he became Speaker in January 2021.
“It is humbly requested that the personnel are withdrawn with effect from 14 January 2022 while efforts are made to regularize their attachment,” the letter stated.
The news has been received with shock with the Office of the Speaker of Parliament questioning the motive behind the withdrawal of the soldiers.
The office described the move as an attempt to strip the Speaker of protection and believes such is untenable and sets a bad precedent.
The Ministry of National Security has also said despite the withdrawal, Alban Bagbin still has security protection and soldiers are deployed to provide such services on need basis.
But the former Deputy Communications Minister sees the explanation from government as “being cruel in even telling lies.”
Speaking in an interview on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News, Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the soldiers’ attachment to the Office of the Speaker could have been regularized without withdrawing them assuming the claim that it did not follow due procedure was true.
“What is clear is that, this government has never had difficulty in members of the military providing security for members of the 3 arms of government. We know for a fact that, the attorney general is guided by a military person. There are pictures and prove of it. In other words, the Speaker Bagbin did not walk to any barracks and ganged the four soldiers to come and guide him. They were told by their superiors to go protect the Speaker.
“All of a sudden, one year down the line, this administration has realized that the military men protecting the Speaker did so without due diligence? It is as a result of the fall-out from the e-levy passage in parliament.
“This administration is cruel – they don’t add sophistication to the things that they do, to the lies that they tell, so it’s so obvious to tell the reality of whatever they’re doing. There’s no dispute about this, even a child knows this that they’re forming ways and means to intimidate the Speaker,” he said.