General News of Wednesday, 23 January 2019

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

Ghana cannot be in a state of insecurity because five people have been killed - NPP MP

Collins Owusu Amankwah,Vice Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Interior Collins Owusu Amankwah,Vice Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Interior

The Vice Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Interior, Collins Owusu Amankwah has taken the Minority in Parliament to the cleaners over their claims that Ghana is in a state of insecurity.

The Vice Chair and MP for Manhyia North, told Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM that, the claims and reasons assigned by the Minority are weightless and lack logical reasoning.

He opined the claims by the Minority were unrealistic.

The Minority in Parliament on Monday said the security of Ghana has been porous since President Akufo-Addo took over office.

Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga addressing a press conference on Monday said ‘’since President Akufo-Addo became president, the security situation in the country has become very porous to the extent that Ghanaians are now living in fear.’’

They also called on the president to put in place measures to stem the alarming incidents of contract killings and robberies in the country.’’

But Mr Collins Owusu Amankwah said, the position by the Minority is flawless because the use of the killings of some five individuals including the late Ahmed Hussein-Suale cannot be the yardstick for them to say Ghana is in a state of insecurity and porous.

Ghana under the NDC he added went through similar incidents and yet, nobody described Ghana’s security at that time as porous or unstable.

Crime he said has no colour but ‘’we should be fair and sincere to ourselves.’’

‘’Why do you say we are in a state of insecurity? The press conference by the Minority was bogus, unwarranted, premature and waste of time.’’

The Minority on the day lamented the rise in robbery cases in the country and compared the era of the NDC and the current ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

‘’For instance, according to statistics from the Ghana Police Service, incidents of robbery cases recorded at the end of year 2017 were 1,772n as compared to 1,397 in 2016. This figure represents a 27% increase. The situation did not improve in 2018 as robbery cases alone hit 968 in the first quarter.’’

However, Mr Amakwaa says the Minority was selective and economical with the truth.

The statistics they used did not represent the truth,’’ he argued.

On the call for the arrest of Kennedy Agyapong in connection with the death of Ahmed Hussein-Suale, he said the call is unnecessary because the video being used to justify the call is not strong enough to warrant an arrest and prosecution.

He asked the Minority to allow the police to conduct a professional investigation over the matter.

According to him, the Committee of Interior and Defence is working closely with all the various state security agencies on would certainly invite all heads of our security agencies on the matter.

He was however quick to add that, the issue of security is a shared responsibility.