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The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, last Friday said he still does not understand the decision by the government to withdraw the military protection to his office, as the “third highest person” in Ghana.

He said due to the baffling development, he had been compelled to manage things on “my own”.

He recalled that the same treatment was meted out to him when he was the Second Deputy Speaker.

“I now have been elected as Speaker, which is a higher position, and the same President says I am not entitled to military attaché but the others are entitled,” he said.

‘I’m very, very secure’

Interacting with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Parliament last Friday (October 28, 2022), Mr Bagbin said “If you go to his Excellency’s office, you may count getting to about 200 military and the Vice President definitely has access to some.

“I, following, I am not entitled but the Chief Justice who is after me has four military, ministers have their own and each Supreme Court judge has two military and as for the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, that is a battalion.

“My friend, the Minister of National Security is entitled to military and my brothers in Interior and Defence ministries both have and the Attorney-General and the Minister of Justice have (their) own. The same with the Minister of Finance but the Speaker is not entitled and this is Ghana’s unique democracy,” he said, adding that

“But do not worry as I am very, very secure.”

The Speaker expressed concern when a member of the press corps asked him how he felt with the decision by the government to pull out the military attaché to his office.

In January 2022, the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces withdrew the military personnel attached to the Office of the Speaker of Parliament, effective January 14.

In a statement issued on January 11, 2022, Major General, N. P. Andoh, said the four officers were attached to the office “without proper procedure.”