Former Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah says there is the need for government to establish a Commission of Inquiry to interrogate the country’s security system.
The former CDS, who was speaking on the back of revelations from the Emile Short Commission of Inquiry, noted that there seems to be a lack of proper coordination within the security apparatus of the country; hence it ought to be dealt with to avoid any chaos in future.
The Emile Short Commission of Inquiry was set up by government to probe incidents of violence which occurred during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
During the Commission’s hearing, there were testimonies from the Minister of Interior, the National Security Minister, the Minister of State in charge of National Security, SWAT team commander and the Inspector General of Police, whose individual testimonies contradicted with one another’s.
The National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah testified that the vehicles used by the operatives on the day of the by-election was given to them by the police, but Interior Minister Ambrose Dery disputed this, saying the vehicles used were not police vehicles.
The SWAT team Commander, DSP Samuel Azugu, also testifying to the Commission said he did not know his men were masked at the time he deployed them.
One of the National Security operatives, Bright Ernest Akomea, also known as Double, also stated in his testimony that he only underwent a three-week training to become a National Security officer.
These revelations have since raised a lot of debates within the media and public circles on the state of Ghana’s security system.
It is on the back of this that retired Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah is calling for a probe into what goes into the formation of the National Security amongst other things.
Speaking on TV3‘s The Key Points on Saturday, the former Presidential Security Advisor said there is the need for a more serious investigation into the security system.
“This Commission that we have just witnessed shows there is so much to be done. In fact, we need a bigger Commission to relegate peace into the set-up of our security system; otherwise, it is going to be a mess.
“…I believe that there is the need for a bigger commission into the set up of our National Security, its members, from masked men from SWAT, to Castle, this and that. Who are these? There is more to be done, and the police should be the only body maintaining law and order in Ghana.
“The military should act in support of the police in the country. Nobody has the power to set up an army or the police force except these two institutions,” Brigadier Nunoo-Mensah noted.
According to Mr Nunoo-Mensah, the issues of security ought to be dealt with more seriously to avoid violence and insecurity in the country.
“There is a lot of work still to be done. This matter is very serious, and we should not joke with it. It can break Ghana apart. We should not think it is just party political business; it is more serious than that. The way Ghana is run today frightens some of us, we can jump from peace to chaos.
“Today’s system has all kinds what is National Security, there was nothing like that before. We have got elements that make up the National Security. The police are the main source of maintaining law and order in Ghana, nobody else; the Ministry of Defense and the National Security have no business messing with a by-election.”
The Brigadier General expressed worry over actions of political parties, stating that these parties only want power, and do not have the interest of Ghanaians at heart.
“The politics is dirty, what is the problem, because they see politics as a business to make money not to come and serve our country. That is the problem we are facing today and we are heading towards chaos,” he stressed.
Brigadier Nunoo-Mensah charged government to do all it can to ensure that Ghanaians feel safe in the country.
By Irene Amesimeku|3news.com|Ghana