Brigadier General Aggrey Quashie
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has refuted media reports suggesting that military personnel were deployed to the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) to interfere with parliamentary proceedings during the Fifth Meeting of the Fourth Session on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.
A statement issued by the Director of Public Relations, Brigadier General Aggrey Quashie on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, said on Monday, October 21, 2024, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, through the Clerk of Parliament, formally requested security assistance from GAF for routine canine and bomb sweeps of the chamber.
It said that standard procedure is conducted on the first sitting day of the week typically on Tuesdays whenever Members of Parliament (MPs) convene outside the traditional Parliament House.
It, therefore, called on the public to disregard reports making rounds that the security personnel were present following remarks Bagbin made on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, October 17, 2024, where the Minority Leader had urged the Speaker to declare four parliamentary seats vacant.
“GAF wishes to emphatically state that these reports are false and should be treated with the utmost contempt. Such misinformation among other things tarnishes the reputation of GAF,” the statement added.
“It is essential to clarify that GAF personnel were not present at the Grand Arena to interfere with parliamentary proceedings.
“Their role was exclusively to conduct these routine sweeps to ensure the safety and security of the facility by checking for any explosive devices or harmful substances,” the statement pointed out.
It said GAF remains committed to the welfare and well-being of all citizens and will always undertake assignments aimed at ensuring the security and safety of all Ghanaians, and urged the media to refrain from disseminating false information while reporting on matters of public interest.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah