Dominic Nitiwul
MINISTER FOR Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has described as spurious, allegations by the Minority members on the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament that the government was recruiting and training mercenaries at the Jubilee House to cause chaos and mayhem in the country, and blame it on the opposition.
According to him, such allegations were mischievous, unwarranted attacks targeted at the Ghana Armed Force (GAF), with the aim of causing confusion in the country.
The Minority, led by the Ranking Member for the Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga, made the allegations during a press conference Tuesday in Parliament.
Weird Allegation
“The Minority’s attention has further been drawn to an exposure by a Ghanaian journalist based in the USA, Kevin Taylor, which suggests the recruitment and training of mercenaries by government operatives based at the Jubilee House to cause chaos and mayhem in the country and blame the political opposition,” he stated.
According to him, photos of a truck with a container mounted on the trailer, allegedly used to transport a cache of arms meant for the use of the mercenaries was displayed by Kevin Taylor, asserting that that brings into sharp focus the use of hoodlums within the security services.
Dismissal
But the Defence Minister, who dismissed the allegations as complete fabrication, said, “This kind of weird allegation that people throw in the air must stop. And this kind of pull-him-down attitude that is targeted at the Armed Forces must stop. If you want information, come and we will give you the information.”
“For anybody to imagine this, and sit and copy someone who is sitting in the United States; who has no information about Ghana, and believing it and making an official press conference is unfortunate. It’s weird and unwarranted attacks targeted at the Armed Forces,” the Defence Minister stressed.
According to him, there was no such thing taking place in the country, adding that the government had not brought any such persons into Jubilee House.
“We have not done this since we came to power and we don’t intend to do it. Of course, I will not come and tell you that we have not had an enhanced security at the Jubilee House. That is a priority of the government.
“But the government has not recruited anybody outside the recognised security forces – the police, GAF and members of the National Security,” Mr. Nitiwul asserted.
He emphasised, “I want Ghanaians to dismiss this allegation by the Minority and cast it into the dustbin because it is not a true story and there is no evidence to such.”
He said the NPP was more democratic than the NDC, intimating, “We believe in the tenets of democracy; our tradition was borne out of democracy. And so, we will be the last to trample upon democracy.”
Promotion
On promotion in the military, the minister dismissed allegations of politicisation of the security services by the government, stating, “If you know how promotions in the Ghana Armed Forces are done, you will not bring any allegation that promotions are not based on merit.”
The NDC MP for Builsa North asserted at the press conference that politicisation of the security sector manifested itself in the mode of recruitment of personnel into the various services.
“Most often, unqualified personnel who are politically connected to the NPP administration are the ones who are recruited into the security services. In other words, meritocracy is no longer applied in determining who qualifies to be recruited into the security services under President Akufo-Addo’s government,” he alleged.
However, the Defence Minister said, “This government has been very fair to all soldiers. I have always insisted and directed that unless you can give a reason an officer should not be promoted, that person should be promoted and that has always been the case.”
“So, it is also not true that promotion in the Ghana Armed Forces has been compromised. I think these unwarranted attacks on the image of the armed forces must stop,” he added.
“I want to assure the people of Ghana and the world that recruitment into the security services, particularly that of the GAF, has remained at the highest level. You can’t get your way through the GAF and be an officer or soldier if you don’t meet the criteria set out,” he posited.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House