Defence minister Omane Boamah has announced that Electoral Commission chair Jean Mensa is now protected solely by the Ghana Police Service, following the withdrawal of her military security detail.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, he wrote: “The Electoral Commission Ghana Chairperson, Jean Mensa, has been provided with protection by the Ghana Police Service, following the withdrawal of military protection.”
The military detail at Jean Mensa’s Labone residence was withdrawn on 25 June, after years of criticism over the use of armed forces to guard civilian officials.
Jean Mensa had been assigned military protection after the contentious 2020 elections, a move that sparked public debate about the growing militarisation of civilian security in Ghana. Many civil society groups and security analysts argued that relying on soldiers blurred the lines between military and civilian roles, threatening democratic norms.
Critics insisted that the Ghana Police Service, as the constitutionally mandated body for internal security and personal protection, was better suited to such duties.
Omane Boamah’s post signals a decisive end to that arrangement and reinforces the call for police to lead in safeguarding civilian leaders.
