By Roberta Modin
The delay in appointing a new Minister for Defence and Environment following the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of the former ministers has sparked heated debate among Ghanaians.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show, former government spokesperson on governance and security, Dr. Palgrave Boakye Danquah, expressed his concerns over the delay, stating that the President’s actions are exposing the country’s insecurity. “The President cannot expose the insecurity of our country,” Dr. Danquah said, questioning the timing of the appointment.
He said, “We are not cattle in this country; we are humans. The President cannot tell us that he is not in a haste to appoint our sovereign Minister for Defence.”
Dr. Danquah also criticized the President’s brother for driving a state vehicle, saying it was a breach of security. “We allow our President to be driven home by his brother after returning from a national assignment abroad and we think it is not a breach of security?” Lawyer Jantuah supported this view, saying “It is wrong for the President’s brother to drive a state vehicle.”
The Binduri Member of Parliament, Hon. Issifu Mahmoud, defended the government, stating that the state of security is better than it was under the previous government.
However, Dr. Danquah disagreed, citing the President’s failure to curb galamsey as an example of his lack of urgency. “If President Mahama is bold enough to curb galamsey, he would have appointed a new Minister for Defence.” Jantuah echoed this concern, saying “Very soon, the only fresh water body we will have in Ghana is the Black Volta.”
Dr. Danquah also read a passage from Christopher Columbus’ journal, which he said was relevant to the current situation. The passage read: “They willingly traded us everything they owned, they do not bear arms, they do not know them. For I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They will make fine slaves. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”
Jantuah stated that “Our problem as Ghanaians is not the party in power, it is the people.” He nattempted to downplay the controversy, saying “Whatever the case, any decision made is collectively agreed by the cabinet so we cannot say that security has been ignored.”
