Gov’t to allocate GH₵1 billion to retool security services – Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has announced a GH₵1 billion budget allocation to retool Ghana’s security services, aimed at enhancing their operational effectiveness and logistical capacity.
Speaking during an engagement with security personnel, President Mahama acknowledged the difficult conditions under which many officers operate and reiterated his administration’s commitment to equipping them adequately.
“I know you work under difficult circumstances, and we’ve actually been discussing with the Minister of Interior how we can retool your services so that you have the equipment and logistics to be able to do your work,” he said. “We had a National Security Council meeting this afternoon, and I managed to squeeze the Minister of Finance’s hand behind his back, and we’ll get a budget of a billion cedis for retooling of your various services.”
The President singled out the Ghana National Fire Service as one of the agencies in urgent need of equipment. He noted that the last major procurement of fire tenders was nearly a decade ago.
“Fire Service needs fire equipment urgently. Let me say I empathize with my sister here. When the Fire Service arrives late, people get angry. But they just don’t have the fire tenders. The last set of fire tenders were bought almost 9 or 10 years ago during Prof. Mills’ time. There’s not been a retooling. Most of those tenders are broken down.”
He also touched on the rising threat of violent crime, including armed robbery, and the challenges faced by the Ghana Police Service in addressing it.
President Mahama appealed to the public to be patient with emergency responders, especially fire personnel, stressing that many are doing their best with limited resources.
“So I urge the public to be patient with our fire officers. They are working under difficult circumstances. And so one of the priorities will be to get some new fire tenders for you,” he assured.
The planned retooling is expected to benefit all security agencies under the Ministry of the Interior and bolster their ability to serve and protect citizens more efficiently.
