Public perception about army must be examined - Blay
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2000
Mr Freddie Blay, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, on Wednesday said the perception that a particular ethnic group is dominating the Ghana Armed Forces should be well examined.
"If this perception is real and well grounded, we should all help to dispel it lest the group involved become the target of dissension and hatred and even ethnic cleansing in future.
Mr Blay was contributing to a motion tabled by Mr Agyare Koi-Larbi, NPP-Akropong, seeking the authority of the House to request the Minister of Defence to report annually to the House on matters of recruitment into the military to ensure regional balance in the Armed Forces.
He described the motion as a bold one that should be looked at carefully since the military is a very delicate institution with well-pronounced cohesive capacity. "Playing the ostrich and pretending that a master somewhere is taking care of it is unfortunate."
He said having dictated the politics of Ghana for some time the military has placed itself in a peculiar position that should be well guarded "if we have to sleep soundly as politicians or public servants. It spells danger for all of us if that perception still holds".
Mr Kofi Attor, NDC-Ho Central, called for the withdrawal of the motion since it would encourage ethnicity and the politicisation of the army.
He said in the practice where potential military personnel are supposed to seek approval of Members of Parliament or Chiefs of their origin and character inference, loyalty may be swayed from where it should go.
Alhaji Yakubu Malik, NPP-Yendi, said the mere progress of the debate is a significant step forward for democracy in Ghana.
He said hitherto the military were seen as "untouchable" and that it was seen as a taboo to talk about it.
The member said the motion only seeks to give a fulfilment to the spirit of the Army's mode of recruitment, which by all intents aims at achieving regional balance in its realm.
He challenged the Minister of Defence to dispel the perception that the army is being dominated by a particular group by providing statistics.
Lieutenant Colonel E.K.T. Donkor, Minister of Defence, said the mode of recruitment into the army has never been a secret since it is always advertised for all Ghanaians to apply.
He said the perception that the army is dominated by a particular group of people is untrue as it is not based on any credible analysis.
The Minority Leader, Mr J.H. Mensah, sought to push for a compromise but did not insist that the word structure should be maintained.
He said although there are laws and regulations governing the recruitment of the armed forces, it is necessary for Parliament to be told from time to time whether those regulations are not being flouted.
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