The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu says recent attacks on Members of Parliament paints a disturbing picture of the state of security in the country and this could negatively impact the economic growth of the country.

According to him, the recent armed robbery attacks on Members of Parliament called for a special security detail to be appointed to MPs to ensure their safety as well as their family’s.

He added that the series of murders of some of the nation's political leaders casts a slur on the overall view of Ghana as an investor friendly nation.

Speaking on the PM Express, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu said: “And unfortunate as it is, it affects the country outside. If a country can’t protect their lawmakers and every now and then within a spate of four years, two of them have been murdered in cold blood an investor may be thinking, four times, three times, over a decision whether or not to invest in Ghana. So it is not a child’s play, it affects the direction of growth of the economy.”

His concerns follow the recent murder of Ekow Quansah Hayford, MP for Mfantseman constituency by armed robbers on the Abeadze Dominase – Abeadze Duadzi – Mankessim Road on his return from a campaign trip.

He was shot twice, leading to his untimely demise.

Ekow Quansah Hayford isn’t the only MP to have died from a robbery attack in recent times.

In 2016, MP for Abuakwa North constituency, Joseph Boakye Danquah Adu was stabbed to death after some assailants gained access to his house, entered his bedroom and stabbed him to death.

Speaking on the matter, the Majority Leader bemoaned the media’s antagonistic stance when issues about special security for MPs are raised on the floor of Parliament.

“That’s why sometimes I find it disturbing when partners in our democratic governance, members of the fourth realm, sometimes people pouring cold waters in the call that occasionally we make and people making it appear as if we consider members of parliament as special breed and that is why we are asking for security.

He said the media’s position on such issues undermines the need for an enhanced security detail for MPs.

“You usually say why not improve the security for the entirety of the country. Somebody is playing down that we're talking in the context of generally improving the security in the country but beyond that what can we do? Is it the case that because we are not able to do that now, the president himself should not be given security? …I think that we should be realistic because as I said it is the image of this country that is at stake,” he said.