Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
Government has condemned the minority NDC’s posturing over the deployment of security personnel into border towns to prevent the influx of persons from neighboring countries. According to government, the deployment of these personnel is to tighten the country’s borders to curtail the importation of the coronavirus and to maintain the country’s peaceful atmosphere ahead of the compilation of the voters register.
Addressing journalists at a Press Briefing in Accra on Monday June 29, 2020, the Defence Minister, Diminic Nitiwul criticized the NDC for fueling ethno-centric politics and creating a false sense of ethno-tribal agenda amidst government’s strategy to maintain the security within the country.
“We have deployed across the entire country and the purpose is to aid and support the Ghana Immigration Service to stop people from crossing because we have too many unapproved riots and the COVID-19 numbers are getting higher and higher. So we will not sit aloof and allow our people to die because people are crossing into our country. if people have any reason, whether NDC, NPP, CPP or anyother party has any reason and have the intention of bringing in anybody for whatever purpose, the protocol is very clear, bring them in through the approved channels, let them quarantine themselves for 14 days and then they can do whatever they want to do.
“But for the people of Ghana, we are concerned about their health. It is my duty to make sure that the people of Ghana are safe and at this particular time, we are all in danger and for anybody to suggest that we just deployed only to Aflao or Volta Region is misplaced” the Minister said.
Speaking on the number of security personnel government has deployed to the various regions so far, Mr. Nitiwul pointed out that 3 officers have been deployed to the Volta Region along with 95 soldiers, 2 officers and 70 soldiers to the Oti Region, 8 officers with 199 soldiers to the Upper East Region, 3 officers and 44 soldiers to the North East Region, 4 officers and 65 soldiers to the Upper West Region, 2 officers with 26 soldiers in the Western Region and only 64 soldiers to the Savannah Region.
This comes at the back of a viral tape that was making rounds on social media pointing to comments passed by Member of Parliament for Adansi-Asokwa, K.T Hammond on the mission of the security personnel deployed to the Volta and Oti Regions ahead of the start of the voters registration exercise on Tuesday, June 30, 2020.
This the Information Minister reiterated that the comments passed by K.T Hammond is not government’s position on the matter.
“When government want to put out a position, there are a number of government’s functionaries who put out on government’s position. His Excellency the President himself may speak, the Vice President may speak, the Minister or Deputy Minister responsible for the sector in this case these are matters of military deployment so either the Defence Minister or his Deputies will put it up or the Ministry of Information may put it up for government.
“Additionally, you have the press secretary at the office of the President who may put it out. These are the categories of government’s spokespersons. I think we have to be very careful in for example hearing from a member of parliament who is not a member of government expressing his suspicions about what he guesses is the reason for a particular exercise. We have to be clear to distinguish that from government’s position” he added.