We’re paying to recruit people like ‘Double’ in Homeland Security: Colonel Aboagye on a weak security system

General news for Saturday, October 10, 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

10/10/2020

Ghana’s renowned security analyst, Colonel Festus Boahen Aboagye (rtd), has linked the current increase in criminal activity in the country with the recruitment of some unskilled people into the country’s security system.

In an interview with GhanaWeb, Colonel Aboagye said that the country is paying to politicize recruitment in National Security and other security agencies, which has resulted in a weakness in fighting crime.

He made a specific mention of Bright Ernest Akomea, AKA Double, a national security agent involved in the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence, and cited the recruitment of his likes as security officers as delaying the security of the nation.

Double an NPP supporter in 2019 told Justice Commission of Inquiry Emile Short that he was dealing with mobile phones at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra before joining the National Security organization. He told the commission that he was trained for three weeks as a conscript when he joined the national security apparatus.

“Dr. Kumbuor, the former defense minister, made the analogy that assuming you use your influences to get a member of your family to become a nurse, not with the proper training. The next time you get sick, you go there or someone goes there and it is that nurse who takes care of you, you will die. One of the implications of this politicization is that we put men and women into the security services who, for example, may not be qualified but we put them in place due to political influence. They are not there to work, they are to collect their wages, not to sacrifice their life for anyone. People like Double, Mr Akomea and Co, who are in Homeland Security, that’s the price we’re paying now, “he said.

He emphasized that the activities of criminals in the country will not disappear at any time and therefore the police service should take up applying effective measures to the barometers that affect the crime rate in order to reduce criminal activities in the country.

Colonel Aboagye spoke about the state of the country’s security in recent times and the role of the security forces in ensuring the safety of citizens.

His comments follow the murder of MP for Mfantseman.

Mr Ekow Quansah Hayford, Mfantseman’s MP, was attacked by robbers on Abeadze Dominase – Abeadze Duadzi – Mankessim Road as he and his team were returning from a field trip.

Eyewitnesses say that the MP while the robbery was taking place identified himself to the criminals, who were enraged and shot him twice, killing him instantly.

Its driver, a Mr. Issa, who also suffered gunshot wounds, later died in a health center.

The deputy’s death has rekindled calls from his colleagues in the legislative house for the state to provide them with personal security.

However, Colonel Festus Aboagye (rtd) believes that rather there is a need to ensure that all citizens of the country have the necessary protection and sense of security rather than assigning security officers to parliamentarians without providing effective security in the whole county.

“The fact that he has a police escort does not mean that he is protected,” he said.