US-based Ghanaian legal practitioner, Professor Kwaku Asare is calling for an immediate halt in the payment of security allowances given to Members of Parliament (MPs).
This comes after the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery directed the Inspector General of Police(IGP) James Oppong Boanuh to deploy 200 police officers to serve as guards to Members of Parliament till the end of the year following the killing of the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman constituency, Ekow Hayford.
Speaking to Citi News, Prof. Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Prof. Azar said the state is not justified in paying the said amount once it is providing security to the MPs.
“They were given 10% of their basic salary because they had no police protection. Some MPs who double as ministers had police protection even before this conversation sprung up. For those who had no police protection, it was approved that they get 10% of their basic salary, which is GHS2,000 a month to hire their own security.”
“For them to have police protection and keep receiving the allowance is deceptive, unethical, and unlawful,” he added.
200 police officers deployed to guard MPs
The Ministry of Interior has deployed 200 police officers to serve as guards to Members of Parliament (MPs) till the end of the year.
The officers will operate under the Parliamentary Protection Unit.
The sector minister told members of the Parliamentary Press Corps after an in-camera session with MPs that under the new arrangement every MP will be entitled to a police officer as a bodyguard.
He also disclosed that plans are underway to provide 800 additional police officers to protect the homes of the MPs.
