Ghanaians against armed bodyguards for MPs are just jealous - Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is of the conviction that people who are against the provision of armed Police protection for lawmakers in the country are doing so because of jealousy and envy.

According to him, the work of the Members of Parliament is critical to nation-building and there is therefore the need to provide some form of protection for them.

To him, it comes as a shock that some persons will be against the provision of security for Members of Parliament when MMDCEs and Ministers come

His call comes on the back of the murder of the Member of Parliament(MP) for Mfantseman Constituency Ekow Quansah Hayford.

“We should know that all fingers cannot be the same yet we have people who perhaps informed by envy or jealous or whatever say ‘Members of Parliament are not different from us. They are our representatives so leave them’. People should recognise that in the perking order, MPs come before minister so if ministers are offered protection why not MPs? We have DCEs who are offered protection. In the perching order, DCEs don’t come anywhere near MPs yet nobody raises issues when DCEs have to be offered protection but for MPs, no! They are ordinary citizens. What informs that?” he stated.

The Suame Member of Parliament added that: “What has happened is most unfortunate not only to the family even though they are the first port of call but Ghana is the ultimate loser because people will question the security system in the country. It affects the image of the Republic and we should be concerned”.

Making a case further for the Provision of Police Security for Lawmakers he said, “If you have a bodyguard who is in front of your vehicle (and) somebody fires, the person can offer you little protection. Sometimes the mere presence of a policeman will ward off such intruders knowing perhaps that the policeman is armed and if they attempt anything he will act. I think that as a nation, we should be thinking about that.”

To him, the country has the personnel to provide security for Members of Parliament and that should be done.

“It used to be that we didn’t have many security personnel in the system but now we are increasing the numbers and I think it is important for us to think through this well.”