The Minority Leader in Parliament has described as cruel and discriminatory, the withdrawal of Speaker Alban Bagbin’s military guards.

According to him, the action taken by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) does not bode well for the country's stability and unity.

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews on Monday, he said, this is ugly for Ghana’s democracy.

“The action is not only cruel and discriminatory, but does not augur well for the unity of the State and for the stability of the Republic,” he said.

Mr. Iddrisu said the Minority will not “countenance the discriminatory actions of the Executive intended to gag or weaken the political Minority.”

His comment comes in the wake of a leaked document from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) directing the withdrawal of some 4 soldiers from the Office of the Speaker of Parliament because they were assigned there “without proper procedure.”

The GAF’s Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. N. P. Andoh said, WOII Apugiba Awine David, S/Sgt Agbley Prosper, WO1 Jafaru Bunwura and Sgt. Bonney Prince’s attachment to Mr. Bagbin’s office since he assumed office on January 7, last year, is improper.

“It is humbly requested that the personnel are withdrawn with effect from 14 January, 2022 while efforts are made to regularise their attachment,” the January 11 letter from GAF stated.

The legislator, in reaction, expressed his disappointment in the GAF as well as the Defence Minister and the President for sanctioning such an order.

“I am utterly disappointed in the Armed Forces who ought to live above reproach and utterly disappointed in the Minister for Defence and the Executive President for sanctioning such an action. For what political gain? It’s not healthy for our democracy and not when you are seeking to build consensus, you engage in this show of brute force, it is ugly for our democracy,” he stressed.

He also warned that this development could have dire consequences for consensus-building on the floor of the House.

“You expect that tomorrow, you would come build consensus, consensus with whom? What is even more worrying is the fact that Minster’s of state have been provided military guards and supported by soldiers, Chief Executive Officers, even Chairpersons of Commission have 4,5,6,7 military personnel around them and we cannot have this for the third most important person of our Republic, the Speaker of Parliament? That is cruel, that is inhumane and discriminatory,” he stated.