A security expert and former officer of the Ghana Armed Forces, Retired Colonel Festus Aboagye, has expressed strong objections to the recent deployment of military personnel to combat smuggling along Ghana’s border areas.
He argued that the Minister of Defence lacks the authority to order such a deployment without following the proper constitutional procedures.
Speaking during an interview on the “505” news analysis program on Accra-based Class 91.3 FM, hosted by Valentina Affriyie on Friday, August 30, 2024, Col. Aboagye raised concerns over the government’s decision to involve the military in border security.
He pointed out that internal security matters, such as combating smuggling, are the constitutional responsibility of the police, not the military.
“It is not within the authority of the Minister of Defence to deploy the armed forces arbitrarily. We must follow due process in line with democratic governance,” he added.
He further argued that the Minister does not have the authority to announce the deployment of the army over the radio.
He went on to explain that, over the years, the military’s involvement in combating cocoa smuggling and illegal mining (galamsey) has been problematic. More often than not, he claimed, the military ended up assisting the smugglers rather than stopping them.