Member of Parliament for Wa West, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has advised government against politicizing the nation’s security.
According to Peter Toobu who is also a Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior, the continuous interference of government in the operations of the country’s security services will only lead to them losing their hard earned reputation and destroying the nation.
“Let us not politicize security in Ghana. The government must stay out of the affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) which has achieved global respect and not bastardize them. No SOP requires the Finance Minister, Chief Justice and EC Chair to be protected by the Military but it is happening and the third gentleman of the land doesn’t deserve same?”
Peter Lanchene Toobu
The Wa West MP averred that government can mess up the economy, the agricultural sector amongst others and there will still be hope for the nation. He, however, stated that there is no way the nation can survive if its security is messed up because the economy and country will be hopeless.
Commenting on the withdrawal of the Speaker’s military personnel, the MP indicated that he disagrees with the directive.
According to Peter Toobu, he believes the Speaker deserves a Military detail because of the current circumstances, although the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) dictates otherwise. He posited that for the first time in Ghana’s history, the country has a hung Parliament with a Speaker of Parliament from the opposition, and as such, he believes the Speaker deserves a Military detail.
According to the security expert, the directive is politically motivated, a position he shares with his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Focus on acquiring leadership skills
Speaking on parliamentary affairs for the year, Peter Toobu, urged parliamentarians to focus on acquiring leadership skills for the nation’s development.
“This is the first time we are seeing a hung Parliament and noticing that numbers do not really matter. Now what matters is skill. Leadership skills that will see us build consensus and drive the national agenda.”
Peter Lanchene Toobu
To the Wa West MP, the bullying experienced in the previous Parliamentary sitting on the account of one party having the numbers over the other has become useless now.
Peter Lanchene Toobu blamed events on the last day of Parliament where parliamentarians traded blows as they having been used to the bullying system.
“If you don’t have the skills, you become brutish and then you will see parliamentarians trading blows.”
Peter Lanchene Toobu
For the first time in history, Ghana has a hung Parliament with 137 MPs for both the ruling NPP and the opposition NDC and one Independent MP, who identifies with the former.
This new situation, according to Peter Toobu together with a Speaker from the latter meant the current Parliament was destined for an interesting, but uncertain future.
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