Omane Boamah bans military escorts for former officials, businesspersons, others

The Minister for Defense, Dr. Omane Boamah, has banned military protection for all civilians who are not legally entitled, including public officials, former ministers, and businesspeople.

This was revealed in a Facebook post by the Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, on Tuesday, July 15.

In the post, he stated that the move is part of the government’s efforts to promote transparency and responsible governance. “As part of our Reset agenda to restore discipline and accountability, we’ve withdrawn military protection for civilians (including public officials, former ministers, businessmen, and women, among others) who are not entitled to it,” he stated.

He added that the new development will curb the misuse of military personnel for private purposes. According to him, the exploitation of military personnel undermines the professional standards of the armed forces. “This decision aims to STOP the misuse of military personnel for personal gain,” he wrote. The minister emphasized that any military personnel found providing unauthorized guard duties will face sanctions.

The withdrawal of the military began during the ex-president Akufo-Addo’s tenure. Some four military officers assigned to the office of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, were withdrawn by the Ghana Armed Forces, citing improper procedure.

The action prompted national debate on whether security services should be involved in non-military roles.

Also, the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa, was denied military protection in 2021; however, she has now been placed under the protection of the Ghana Police Service this year.

Meanwhile, the Road Traffic Legislative Instrument (L.I.) excludes the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice from the list of high-ranking public officials permitted to use a siren and motorcade in their official vehicles. The L.I. was laid before Parliament in 2024 for amendment. It had been previously withdrawn following public backlash over a proposal to grant Members of Parliament (MPs) similar privileges. Critics argued that such privileges for MPs would create inequality on the roads and undermine road safety measures.