Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, the ministerial nominee for the Ministry of Interior and Member of Parliament for Asawase, appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, January 24, 2025, to outline his vision for the country’s internal security.
Mubarak’s plans touch on pressing issues such as police reform, prison conditions, and public perceptions of ex-convicts.
Below are six key highlights from Mubarak’s vetting session:
1. Mandatory use of body cameras by Police Officers
Mubarak has called for all police officers on duty to wear body cameras, aiming to curb police misconduct, including extortion and brutality.
He emphasized the role of body cameras in ensuring accountability, stating, “when you put the body camera on, everywhere you are, you are being recorded.”
This initiative, he explained, would enhance transparency and provide concrete evidence in cases of alleged police misconduct.
2. Reforms in recruitment and promotions in security services
The nominee vowed to address systemic issues in the recruitment and promotion processes across the country’s security services, including the police, fire, and prison services. He identified challenges such as delayed promotions and limited career growth opportunities, which have led to frustration among service members.
Mubarak proposed implementing codified promotion structures, merit-based advancements, and transparent performance evaluations. He also detailed the current promotion process for senior police ranks, which requires approvals at various levels, including presidential endorsement for higher ranks.
3. Improved feeding budget for prison inmates
Expressing dismay at the GHC1.80 daily feeding allowance for inmates, Mubarak described the treatment of prisoners as “dehumanizing.”
He promised to advocate for increased budgetary allocations to improve inmate welfare. “Today, the rationing for a prisoner in Ghana is GHC1.80 for the whole day,” Mubarak said, adding that such conditions undermine the goal of rehabilitation.
4. Commendation for Police handling of 2024 elections
Mubarak lauded the Ghana Police Service for refraining from using firearms during the 2024 general elections, even in the face of provocation. He attributed this decision to the lack of police-involved fatalities during the polls and pledged to support the prosecution of offenders captured on video committing electoral offenses. “The decision of the police to refuse to use firearms is the reason no deaths have come from the police during the elections so far,” he stated.
5. Renaming prisons to correctional centres
As part of his broader vision for prison reform, Mubarak advocated for rebranding Ghana’s prisons as “correctional centres.”
He argued that societal perceptions of ex-convicts must change to facilitate their reintegration into communities. “The fact that one has gone to prison does not make them a different breed of human,” he emphasized, highlighting the need for a more rehabilitative and inclusive approach to corrections.
6. Strengthening internal security services
Mubarak’s overarching goal is to strengthen Ghana’s internal security apparatus through improved personnel management, technological adoption, and resource allocation. By addressing systemic issues and fostering transparency, the nominee hopes to build public trust in the country’s security services.
Rev. Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko appointed Ag. Director General of NCA
The post 6 key promises by Muntaka Mubarak as minister-designate for Interior Ministry first appeared on 3News.
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