Member of Parliament (MP) for Kpandai, Honourable Matthew Nyidam, has described as unacceptable the inability of the leadership of parliament to ensure the provision of adequate security for parliamentarians.
“As Article 71 office holders, MPs are entitled to similar privileges as members of the executive but unlike them, we are often left to cater for our own security and the leadership over the year has done nothing about it”, Mr Nyidam explained.
Speaking on Adom TV’s Pampaso on the murder of Abuakwa North MP, J.B. Danquah, he said, since the work of MPs has similar risks like that of ministers, it is imperative that parliamentarians also had police escorts to ensure their safety.
“The circumstances surrounding J.B.’s death suggest that we need better security. He wouldn’t have died if he had a police officer guarding him and we are going to raise the issue on the floor of parliament till something is done”, he added.
“Why do we want to spend so much money on by-elections when those same amounts could have been used to beef up the MPs security ensure his safety?”, he questioned.
An NDC communicator, Mr Kwaku Boahen, however, disagreed stating that”if all Article 71 office holders were to be provided with police escorts, there would not be enough police officers to ensure the safety of the general citizenry”.
He advised MPs and all other political office holders to live with caution since “their positions are very enviable”.
