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Soldiers only protect persons whose lives are in danger – Kan Dapaah justifies military escorts

Minister-designate for National Security, <a href="https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/politics/a-commander-ordered-military-into-parliamentary-chamber-kan-dapaah/bwzyjl2">Albert Kan Dapaah</a>, says military escorts are only assigned to public officials whose lives are in danger.
Must military men with guns follow Jean Mensa like a North Korean leader? – Kofi Bentil
Must military men with guns follow Jean Mensa like a North Korean leader? – Kofi Bentil

According to him, the assessments of security experts are taken into consideration before soldiers are deployed to protect public officials.

Mr. Kan Dapaah said this when he appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.

He explained that military escorts are given when “a particular individual has a problem and people are after his life, and we think there is a danger.”

READ ALSO: Must military men with guns follow Jean Mensa like a North Korean leader? – Kofi Bentil

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Albert Kan-Dapaah

Albert Kan-Dapaah

“Anywhere you have seen soldiers having to protect a certain individual, it is because in our assessment, in the assessment of the security experts, there is the need to for such support to be given to that particular person.”

Ghanaians have expressed variant opinions after photos of EC Chair Jean Mensa and other lawyers being escorted by military men to the Supreme Court, recently went viral.

While some Ghanaians felt it was a necessary move, others also held that a Police escort would have been more appropriate.

Mr. Kan Dapaah explained that the Police is not well-equipped to provide effective security at all times, hence the deployment of soldiers for some public officers.

“Clearly, the Ghana Police Service and the others security agencies, in terms of equipment and men, have never had the full complement of what it takes to provide the most effective policing in the country,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister-designate for National Security also revealed that military officers who besieged Parliament on January 7, 2021, did so on the orders of a commander.

According to him, the said military commander deployed his men into the chamber because he felt things were getting out of order and wanted to restore sanity.

He dismissed suggestions that the military was deployed by the government to intimidate the members of the House.

“A commander felt things were getting out of order and decided to deploy the military to restore order, so I questioned him ‘why did you think your presence there was going to frighten them’, or could you arrest them…it was an unfortunate incident and we wish it never happens again," he stated.

He, however, added that the CDS has been directed by the President to investigate the incident for the appropriate sanctions are proffered the said commander.

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