Mahama allocates GHS1 billion to revamp Ghana’s security services

President John Dramani Mahama has revealed a budget allocation of GHS1 billion aimed at upgrading the nation’s security agencies.

He stated that this decision comes after a recent meeting of the Security Council, where he expressed concerns regarding the operational difficulties faced by these services, especially the Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service.

“I have managed to persuade the Minister of Finance to allocate a budget of one billion cedis for the retooling of your various services,” President Mahama shared.

He emphasized the urgent situation of the Fire Service, pointing out that the shortage of adequate fire tenders is hindering their effectiveness.

“The Fire Service urgently requires equipment. I sympathize with them when they face criticism for not arriving at fire incidents promptly. The problem is that they lack the necessary equipment. Some of their tools were purchased a decade ago, and there has been no retooling since then,” the President clarified.

While addressing the agency on Friday, June 20, he called on the public to be patient with the service, noting that firefighters are operating under extremely challenging conditions, and he highlighted the dangers faced by the Police Service due to a lack of resources.

“The police confront armed robbers daily, and it’s unreasonable to expect them to do so in vehicles that are not suited for the task,” he remarked.

In a related development, senior officers from all 11 agencies under the Ministry of the Interior have contributed GHS1 million to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, commonly referred to as the Mahama Cares Fund, which aims to assist individuals struggling with chronic illnesses.

The agencies involved in this contribution include the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), National Identification Authority (NIA), Gaming Commission, National Peace Council, Refugee Board, and the Small Arms Commission.