President John Dramani Mahama has announced a major GHC1 billion government investment to retool Ghana’s security services with urgently needed equipment and logistics.
Speaking at a donation ceremony held at Jubilee House on Friday, where security agencies contributed to the MahamaCares health fund, President Mahama said the funding comes in response to years of neglect that have left officers struggling to operate under challenging conditions.
“We had a National Security Council meeting this afternoon, and I managed to squeeze the Minister of Finance’s hand behind his back,” Mahama said jokingly.
“We’ll get a budget of a billion cedis for retooling your various services.”
President Mahama singled out the Ghana National Fire Service as a top priority under the new funding package.
He noted that most of the service’s fire tenders are nearly a decade old and no longer functional.
“Fire service needs fire equipment urgently. The last set of fire tenders were bought almost 9 or 10 years ago. Most of those tenders are broken down,” he explained.
He urged the public to be understanding when fire officers arrive late to emergencies, stressing that the delays are due to equipment failures rather than negligence.
“I urge the public to be patient with our fire officers. They are working under difficult circumstances,” Mahama said.
The Ghana Police Service is also set to benefit significantly, with a fleet of armoured vehicles to be deployed for highway patrols and crime response operations.
Mahama highlighted the risks officers face when confronting heavily armed criminals with inadequate tools.
“You don’t expect the police to confront armed robbers with AK-47s using light-skinned vehicles,” he remarked.
The Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Prisons Service will also receive new vehicles under the retooling initiative.
Both services are currently hampered by aging fleets, limiting their operational reach and response capabilities.
“Immigration, prisons — they don’t have mobility. Most of the vehicles you have are 10 years old, broken down,” the President noted.
“We’ll consider getting some vehicles for you so that you increase the mobility of your officers.”
President Mahama acknowledged the growing burden on security personnel and pledged that the government would take responsibility for equipping them properly.
“You have a mandate to look after us, but we must help you to look after us,” he said.
“Getting equipment and logistics for you to do your work will be one of our priorities.”
By: Shadrack Odame Agyare | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
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