Ghana’s Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has acknowledged the poor welfare conditions facing security personnel across the country, warning that officers cannot effectively protect citizens when their own living and working conditions remain inadequate.
Speaking in an interview with Kwasi Pratt Jnr on Pan African TV monitored by Kumasi Mail, the minister said the government was working on several interventions to improve accommodation, insurance and welfare packages for officers under the Interior Ministry.
“One of the major challenges that I keep telling people is that you can’t have these people trying to protect us when they themselves are not protected,” Mr Mubarak said.
The minister described the state of accommodation for many security personnel as unacceptable, citing poor housing conditions in several police barracks and delays in the payment of rent allowances for officers who secure private accommodation.
“When you travel the length and breadth of our country and you see the kind of housing that they have, it is much to be desired,” he said.
“And the worst of it is that even those who try to find private accommodation are not paid their rent allowance on time. It sometimes takes a whole year.”
According to him, Cabinet approved a policy in March to ensure that rent allowances are paid together with salaries to eliminate delays that affect officers’ welfare and morale.
“We are working through the paperwork to ensure that even where you are unable to find accommodation and have to rent, it should come with your salary. It shouldn’t be something that is delayed,” he said.
The Asawase MP disclosed that the ministry was exploring partnerships with private developers through land-swap arrangements to address accommodation shortages within the security services.
Under the arrangement, portions of government land would be allocated to developers in exchange for the construction of housing units for security personnel.
He said discussions were also ongoing with investors linked to a recent visit to Singapore to introduce prefabricated housing projects for officers.
The Interior Minister further revealed that private developers had recently proposed a long-term housing arrangement that would allow them to construct accommodation for security personnel at no upfront cost to the government.
Under the proposal, developers would recover their investment over an agreed period through rent deductions before eventually handing over ownership of the facilities to the state.
Beyond accommodation, Mr. Mubarak said the ministry was also reforming healthcare and insurance support systems for officers, particularly personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service.
He described the previous arrangement for injured fire officers as “pathetic”, explaining that officers injured in the line of duty were previously required to pay their own medical bills before seeking reimbursement through bureaucratic processes.
“When a fire officer gets injured on the line of duty, the person had to treat himself or herself first, submit the bills, and then the process would go through the ministry and finance before payment,” he said.
To address the situation, he said the government had introduced an insurance package for fire officers.
According to him, officers injured in the line of duty can now access immediate financial support of up to GH¢50,000 for treatment, while officers who suffer serious injuries requiring extended recovery periods may receive up to GH¢100,000 in insurance compensation.
He added that compensation packages had also been introduced for families of officers who lose their lives while on duty.
“It’s small, but it’s a good beginning,” the minister said, adding that the government intends to extend similar welfare reforms to other security agencies under the Interior Ministry.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
