The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has called for an inquisition into the presence of the military during the inauguration of the 8th Parliament and election of a new Speaker.
In a series of post via his twitter page, he disclosed that, “the recent use of the military in civil democratic processes has become a major worry and gives the impression that this administration is continually seeking to resurrect the exorcised ghosts of our military past”.
Describing the situation as unwarranted, the former President said the events leading to the swearing in of the Speaker of Parliament have been both a great occasion for Ghana’s democracy and also an “infamy, which will go down as a low point in our democratic practice”.
“The attempt to snatch ballot papers by the MP-elect for Tema West and the invasion of the Chamber by armed military personnel are images one had never expected to see in our 4th Republican Parliament”.
There has been a growing sense of worry over the recurring appearance and somewhat ‘unwelcome’ presence of the military in public gathering, with the underlying reasons among the concerned Ghanaian being not one of protection.
In all ramification, security agencies are supposed to elicit confidence and refuge among the citizens of a country and when that gradually becomes eroded, the palpable fear only becomes a background tune and an introduction to a sublimely ominous days ahead.
Since Ghana returned to multiparty politics in 1992, the country has won praise as one of the most successful examples of demilitarization and democratization and with the recent spate of military presence degenerating to the subsequent loss of lives, there has been gnawing questions on their true duties to the country.
Justifiably, governments have legal authority to respond to election-related violence. It is typically characteristic of them to use security forces to deter or quell violence.
Barring the most recent conquest of security agencies with their significant presence during the 2020 general election on grounds of ensuring peace which eventually led to loss of lives, there was total chaos in Ghana’s Parliament during the dissolution of the 7th and commencement of the 8th Parliament leading to the invasion of military personnel in the chamber.
This follows a stand-off between the Members of Parliament on both sides of the political divide- the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party, with regard to disagreements over a secret ballot being conducted by the Clerk of Parliament for the selection of a Speaker for the 8th Parliament.
The voting process was truncated several times over the deadlock as several efforts by the Marshals of Parliament and the Police to have the process take-off smoothly failed.
In August 2020, President Akufo-Addo expressed his commitment to investigate the reported military brutalities that characterized the voter’s registration exercise.
His response to set up a committee to thoroughly investigate these claims, as part of a consensus reached at a meeting with Chiefs from the Volta region were despised by the opposition NDC.
“We had what I considered, to be frank, a mutually respectful discussions and after two and half hours, I suggested to them that I will set up a committee composed of members from both sides to interrogate further, the matters they had brought so we can have a satisfactory resolution”, the President quipped.
Reacting to the president’s decision to form a committee to investigate the alleged brutalities in the Volta Region, the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ketu South, Dzifa Gomashie stated that, the development was troubling following the contradictory remarks made by the President and his appointees.
“So, depending on who is speaking and on what platform they are on, the reasons for bringing the military into the community are different, that in itself is troubling, and we don’t know who to trust, or who is speaking the truth”.
In spite of President Akufo-Addo’s dispassionate plea to security agencies to work impassively in the execution of their duties in the round up to the December elections, one may also draw inferences that, the president may be helpless in the actions of the military.
That notwithstanding, the state of security by all and sundry cannot be compromised under the lens of governance.
