Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector: Lessons from Ghana

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ultimately ineffective if equal consideration is not given to managing its implementation.Those involved in designing the inception phase and planning long-term assistancetherefore need to remain closely involved in the management of the inception activitiesto ensure continuity, institutional memory, and the confidence of local stakeholders. 81This process yielded several lessons, the most significant of which is that theinvolvement of a wide spectrum of stakeholders through the series of workshopsresulted in a practical, common understanding of – and recognition of the utility of –security sector reform issues. It also resulted in the creation of a lasting network ofindividuals and organizations interested in supporting progressive transformation of thesecurity sector. Through this network, a locally-designed and -led course on securitysector governance and management was developed. Delivered by an alliance ofGhanaian institutions, the annual course is managed by a steering team jointly chairedby the Office of the President and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service. Similarly, inpartnership with Ghana Institute for Management and Public Administration (GIMPA)and the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana, African SecurityDialogue and Research has built upon its contacts and local knowledge to ensure anapproach tailored to Ghanaian realities; one that was effective in guiding and developingthe curriculum and bringing the broader agenda of a larger stakeholder participation tofruition within a complex political environment. Its engagement in this programme hasenabled the involved organizations to build trust, credibility, and relationships with arange of individuals and organizations across and within and outside of government.This is reflected in the fact that the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defenceand Security now engages the technical services of these institutions to provideseminars and capacity building training workshops for parliamentarians. The willingnessto adapt to a changing environment and to utilize opportunities as they arose was acrucial factor in the successes achieved through the MoD initiative. Although the initialobjective of supporting a significant enhancement in the capacity of the civiliancomponent of the MoD was not fully realized, unintended, but real and sustainedprogress was made in areas that were not originally envisaged, including catalyzingpublic dialogues on security issues that in turn have encouraged broader reforms.Another key lesson was the strategy to directly link the initiative to the ongoing crossgovernmentcivil service reform programme. This initiative was particularly important inplacing reform within the MoD in the wider context of public sector reform and inbroadening participation in the process to include those from outside the securitysystem. 82The resulting civil servant training program is now well-established and providesan important forum for building understanding and promoting discussions on a widevariety of security and justice issues. It enjoys high-level official support and profile, andthe course is contributing to laying the foundations for effective governance of securitysystem, and thereby consolidating Ghana’s democratic transition. 83The opportunity for the increased parliamentary and civil society dialogue hasbeen further improved by the growing transparency of the budgetary process through theintroduction of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) that was initiated bythe Ministry of Finance. The MTEF provides a key entry point for Parliamentary oversight81 Ibid, 39.82 Ibid, 39. For a more detailed discussion of some of the broader dynamics here, see Kwesi Aning,“Managing the Security Sector in Ghana,” Understanding Good Governance in Ghana, ed. BaffourAgyeman-Duah & Alfred Salia Fawundu, (Accra: Graphic Publications, forthcoming).83 Ibid, 39.16
through budget scrutiny, but is only so if the necessary actors are capacitated to engagein debates around resource allocation in support of policy objectives.Other factors include the increasing receptiveness of parliamentarians to engagein public dialogue. 84 There are several other donor-driven initiatives that have manifestedin capacity projects, including one funded by the US Agency for InternationalDevelopment to build bridges between parliament, and the media on security sectorgovernance in Ghana. 85However, in order to ensure that parliamentary dialogues with civil societybecome enduring, there is the need to include traditional authorities in the process.Traditional authorities in Ghana exercise customary roles of authority, power, mediationand leadership that impact significantly on the security sector at the local level. They arealso a source of small-scale, local disputes and, thus, insecurity. However, there are fewpoints of intersection between the state and non-state security systems. Among actors inthe latter, some circumvent state oversight mechanisms; most are not subject to stateauthority at all. However, alternative accountability mechanisms exist.6.0 Non-State Actors in Ghana’s Security SectorCustomary/Traditional Security GuardsIn Ghana, chiefs are the custodians of cultural values and guardians of lands intrust of their people. The role and legitimacy of the traditional authorities in administeringcustomary values and practices are guaranteed under the Constitution. However, thechieftaincy institution possesses a parallel security system that does not fall within theambit of the state security apparatus. This can have an adverse affect on security sectoroversight.The most traditional security service providers in Ghana are found within thehouseholds of traditional chiefs. Customary security personnel play traditional roles aswell as security functions in the chieftaincy institution. Formerly, the traditional authoritieshad their own security system, which was distinct from the regular police service. TheAhenfie Police – “Royal Police” in the Akan language – provide personal security for thechief and the traditional elders of the chiefdom. Recently, the Ghana Police Service hastaken over some of the security needs of the traditional authorities by providing themwith security guards drawn from the Ghana Police Service. In spite of this, certainchiefdoms still maintain their royal security guards in their palaces.A more immediate concern within the chieftaincy practice in Ghana is that theinstitution has become a major source of insecurity in the country. Ghana suffers frommany localized chieftaincy conflicts, in which arms proliferation has been a commonfeature. At the many festivals and traditional celebrations, it is not uncommon to witnessguns, including automatic weapons and celebratory gunfire. There is little evidence thatthese guns are in the possession of officers from the state security agencies. How thenare these guns acquired? Is their use at such public gatherings authorized, and if so, bywhom? Where are these weapons stockpiled and with what precautions? And how comesuch practices at times occur in open view of important dignitaries, such as thePresident, ministers, parliamentarians and state security agencies without any questionof the security implications of this practice?Landguards84 OECD DAC Handbook on Security System Reform (SSR), op. cit.85 Ibid.17
Page 1 and 2: Parliamentary Oversight of the Secu
Page 3 and 4: security and intelligence agencies
Page 5: security sector in Ghana, Act 526 m
Page 8 and 9: functions without fear or favor. 41
Page 10 and 11: Thus, parliamentarians need at leas
Page 12 and 13: the other hand, a much more constru
Page 14 and 15: Increasingly, some members of the d
Page 18 and 19: The practice of landguards was anot
Page 20 and 21: their contribution, good or bad, to
Page 22 and 23: sovereignty and internal affairs, t
Page 24 and 25: internal conflict that threatens to
Page 26 and 27: in the sub-region as the main prior
Page 28 and 29: Parliamentary oversight of the secu
Page 30 and 31: BibliographyAbdul-Rahaman, Salifu &
Page 32 and 33: House of Parliament, Standing Order

Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector: Lessons from Ghana

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?