Police can’t provide security for MPs now — Martin Amidu

Page 13, July 5, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Ghana Police Service will need not less than 490 personnel to effectively provide security to the homes of Members of Parliament (MPs), the Minister of the Interior, Mr Martin Amidu has stated.
He told Parliament on Friday that currently, the police did not have enough personnel to provide security for the homes of the 230 MPs as a result of human resource constraints.
Mr Amidu was answering a question by the MP for Binduri, Mr Stephen Yakubu, who wanted to know whether the ministry had plans to provide MPs with security in their homes.
He explained that the police protection unit, under the command of the Ministries Police District, provided security for the leadership of Parliament, which included the Speaker, the First and Second Deputy Speakers, among others.
Mr Amidu said the police administration might be able to discharge the duty of providing personal security to the residence of MPs when there had been appreciable increase in the number of police personnel.
He said currently, the country’s police strength was 23,228 adding that the administration hoped to recruit a further 8,640 by 2012.
“The police administration will keep the desire of MPs to be provided with security, especially in their homes, until it is able to commit personnel to such duties’’.
He suggested that MPs who experienced any special threat to their personal safety and security or those whose situation needed special attention should contact the district police commanders under whose jurisdiction they resided for the necessary attention.
Answering another question, Mr Amidu told the House that the Ghana National Fire Service had earmarked three strategic areas in the Central Region for the establishment of fire stations in the immediate future.
He said the government had recognised the need to equip and strengthen the capacity of the GNFS throughout the country explaining that efforts were being made to secure new fire tenders for distributions to needy fire stations.