[ 2017-01-23 ]

Ambrose Dery, Interior Minister-designate was vetted by the Appointments Committee on Saturday

I Will Work Within The Law – Dery
The Interior Minister-designate, Ambrose Dery, has
revealed that he would use existing laws in
handling all internal national security issues.

He gave the assurance that issues ranging from
post-election hooliganism, extortion of monies
from road users and harassment by some security
agents would all be stopped to ensure general
internal national security.

“I would be doing the work purely by the rule of
law and as long as they are doing the wrong thing,
those acts would be stopped,” he said.

Appearing before the Appointments Committee of
Parliament for vetting, the incoming Interior
Minister demanded professionalism from the
security agencies and cautioned those who put
impediments in the way of businesses that the law
would not spare any miscreant security official.

The Minister-designate, described as a devout
Catholic, and Member of Parliament (MP) for the
Nandom Constituency in the Upper West Region, was
reacting to issues on vandalism of state
properties after elections and reported cases of
unacceptable behaviour by some security agents.

Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central, and a member
of the Committee, made reference to complaints by
his constituents who import onion, yam and
livestock to Accra about frustrations they face on
their journey as policemen extort money and mount
road blocks.

Mr Ayariga told the Committee that some of their
products rot and the livestock die because they
refuse to pay monies to the security agencies.

He said: “They said I should ask the Interior
Minister whether he would stop the practice of
police officers erecting barriers indiscriminately
from Bawku up to Accra, stopping haulage trucks
and extorting monies from them.”

Mr Dery gave the assurance that the Nana
Akufo-Addo administration would create the
enabling environment for the private sector
actors.

He said vigilante groups must be delinked from
partisan considerations and individuals must take
responsibility for their actions.

“For me…I must be convinced that those groups
are responsible for these activities. I have also
said there is no vicarious liability for criminal
offences. I am not aware that it is political
party vigilantes that are doing so,” he said.

Mr Dery insisted that the reported incidents of
vigilante action must be handled on an individual
basis as against an outright disbandment.

“All must be condemned and not be countenanced,
however, handling of each complaint must be
professionally pursued in that, if you are a
suspect, investigations conducted, rights are
respected and people who deserve to be prosecuted
will be prosecuted,” he said.

Mr Derry said: “Article 41 of the Constitution
gives citizens the obligation to cooperate with
security agencies and it also gives citizens the
duties to protect public property and what have
you. Indeed, when it comes to the misuse of funds
it even uses combat.”

On the engagement of private security, Mr Dery
said the government would follow existing laws
preserved in the 1992 Constitution.

He said much as the nation would use private
security when necessary, it would not abdicate the
role to provide that cover to the police and other
security agencies which also provide an
opportunity to raise funds.

He said: “For example, we have the Formed Police
Unit in South Sudan in the Police. Ghana has sent
one team and the United Nations were impressed
about it and they want two more teams. Should we
get two more teams there, we will earn some hard
currency that will not only support the economy
but help finance the various institutions.”

He assured the security agencies that improvement
in accommodation for the services would be one of
his priorities, adding that the introduction of
the National Barracks Regeneration Programme would
help in the housing programme of the agencies.

“We have stated in our manifesto that there will
be a National Barracks Regeneration Programme and
a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement is
one of the options.

“The investment could come through the PPP
arrangements but we will do that with the
consciousness of value for money and ensure that
the country gets the best deal when it comes to
this,” he said.

“We have public-private agreements and
engagements in the prisons for instance. There are
engagements between the Prisons Service and some
private sector actors…and so I believe that
there will be some internally generated funds that
will come in and I have confidence that this
government will get the resources to make good the
promises that we made to Ghanaians,” Mr Dery
said.

Source - dailyguideafrica.com

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