The attack at the British Parliament on Wednesday has caused some Ghanaian legislators to call for better protection.

Okaikwei Central MP, Patrick Boamah said the current security framework at Ghana's Parliament makes MPs vulnerable to danger.

“We must understand that we have 275 Members of Parliament representing over 28 million people, so if members of parliament ask for security, I don’t think they ask for anything out of the ordinary. If you represent 200,000 people and you are asking for protection only at night, the way the press presents it makes us feel very uncomfortable,” he told Citi FM on Thursday.

 The Chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee was taking part in a debate that was rekindled by terror attack at the UK Parliament that killed five and injured dozens.

Patrick Boamah

This will not be the first time a Member of Parliament has called for tighter security, however, critics of the proposal argue that the MPs should be rather calling for improved security for all Ghanaians.

The debate started after Abuakwa North Member of Parliament, Joseph Boakye Danquah Adu, was murdered at his home last year.

In the view of Mr Boamah, MPs are too exposed to danger given the easy access to the premises of Parliament.

 “Anybody at all can open the chamber door and start firing. Anybody at all can attack MPs at the cafeteria because the security here is lax,” he said.

A ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also waded into the debate, arguing that there was the need for a constant review of security protocols in Parliament to preempt possible security breaches.

 “It is important to acknowledge that, even before this Westminster attack, we as a House had been presented with a terrible assessment by national security about the security at the precincts of the Ghanaian parliament,” Mr Ablakwa said.

“You can never really be sure if the measures you have put in place are adequate, so what  I would call for is a constant review,” he adds.