Providing security for parliamentarians is not a solution to Ghana’s insecurity – Saani

General news for Saturday, October 10, 2020

Source: Starr FM

10/10/2020

The security analyst and executive director of the Jatikay Center for Human Security and Peacebuilding, Adib Saani, has dismissed requests for members of Parliament to have armed guards.

According to Mr. Saani, the call for the protection of the deputies is not sustainable and addresses the general insecurity situation in the country.

The calls for the protection of MPs come after the gruesome murder of Mfantseman’s MP Ekow Quansah Hayford in Mankessim. Moments after his assassination, some parliamentarians revived calls for police protection.

But in a lengthy statement, Mr. Saani said the call “is unscientific and unsustainable,” adding that “furthermore, it in no way solves the broader problem of insecurity in the country.” In fact, criminals can successfully attack bullion vans carrying cash with armed police escorts and also stage daylight attacks against police personnel. Consequently, this problem requires a broader contextual approach and an analytical view of why criminals are getting more ruthless and brazen every day. “

Below is Mr. Saani’s statement

Following the gruesome assassination of MP for Mfantseman, Hon. Ekow Quansah Hayford, the issue of providing armed police guards to MPs has regained priority.

I find the call unscientific and unsustainable. Furthermore, it in no way solves the broader problem of insecurity in the country. In fact, criminals can successfully attack bullion vans carrying cash with armed police escorts and also stage daylight attacks against police personnel. Consequently, this problem requires a broader contextual approach and an analytical view of why criminals are getting more ruthless and brazen by the day.

According to police statistics, crime is increasing in Ghana. In a recent US State Department travel advisory report on Ghana, it is stated that crime is increasing in the country. There are more than 1.2 million illegal firearms in the country resulting in an average of 500 murders per year. The report further emphasizes that local authorities lack the capacity to deal with the threat.

Putting them in perspective, dealing with the state of assassinations of high-profile figures in the country requires a multi-dimensional strategy. It is an incontrovertible fact that we have failed to modernize crime and investigation in Ghana over the years. We have restricted the efficient management of security to the acquisition and donation of vehicles. But it sadly failed to invest in situational crime prevention; deter crime by making strategic changes to an environment, therefore making crime unprofitable. One of the ways this is possible is by investing in crime and investigation.

Let’s integrate the different biometric databases; passport office, National Identification Authority, SSNIT, etc. Let’s make this information available to law enforcement. Officers who are often the first responders to crime scenes must be sufficiently trained to protect the integrity of crime scenes. They should be able to collect fingerprints and DNA at crime scenes for analysis in the database. Let’s invest in DNA technology and have a crime lab in every regional capital of Ghana.

When criminals know there is a greater chance of being caught breaking the law, they will abstain (according to a theory in criminology called “rational choice”). For the most part, cases sent to court are not tight enough, but are based on circumstances due to a lack of empirical evidence. As a result, dangerous criminals are sometimes acquitted.

There is also a need to raise awareness of the need for Ghanaians to exercise great discretion to ensure their safety on a personal and community level. On countless occasions I have conducted security audits for various MPs, including the provision of surveillance systems. Unfortunately, many more do not see the need because they feel so confident in the “love” that their constituents feel for them. Ghanaians are generally not aware of security.

We tend to be reactive rather than proactive on security issues. Most of us start investing in security after being the victim of a crime. We use the same route home from work even during the last hours. We do not double check to make sure our doors are locked at night. We do not pay attention to unusual events in our communities. We irresponsibly expose ourselves and our families to online criminals.

We have a role to play in protecting ourselves and our communities from violent crime. Vigilance is key.