Amidst the current discussion about the withdrawal of the military detail of Speaker Alban Bagbin, a security analyst, Mr Adib Saani, has urged the security apparatus to stop allowing the military to take over civilian protection duties for which personnel of the Ghana Police Service have been trained.

Narrating how he once saw Electoral Commission Chair Jean Mensa at a public function protected by heavily armed ready-for-combat soldiers, Mr Saani said he first thought the soldiers were there in their numbers because the president was going to be there, only for him to find out later that they were there for Mrs Mensa.

“I was amazed to see Madam Jean Mensa walk to the dais with all these military personnel dressed in ready-for-combat regalia”, Mr Saani said during an interview on Accra100.5FM’s morning show Ghana Yensom on Monday, Monday January 17, 2022.

“I was convinced beyond reasonable doubt the president was going to be at the programme”, he told host Sarkodie.

In his view, it is worrying for soldiers to be seen doing the work of police officers who are trained to handle such civilian duties.

“As a security analyst, I am opposed to the military officers being assigned to public office holders in the country”, he said. 

“By so doing, we are making a mistake on two fronts by bringing the military officers too close to the civilians and these actions on the part of the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces will civilianize the military, going forward”, he warned. 

Secondly, he noted that this will create the impression in the minds of the civilians that the police cannot do their civil protection work.

Mr Saani, however, noted that the military can be called in when the police are hard-pressed.

The military is trained for defence and the police are trained for civil duties, he explained.     

“Unfortunately, what do we see today? Military officers everywhere going on guard duties, which is mainly the work of the police”, he added.   

Mr Saani also described the letter from the military high command withdrawing the military men assigned to the office of the Speaker as confusing. 

“I have read the letter on social media and it is confusing when you know the proceedings of the military when it comes to postings and assignments of personnel”, he noted.