A year after J. B. Danquah’s death and our security

It is a year already since a young legislator, the then Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, Mr Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, was murdered in cold blood in his own house while he slept.

His untimely death jolted the entire nation and left many nagging questions concerning the security of members of the legislature and other state officials.

It also gave cause for a re-look at the personal security of individual members of the public at all times.

Mr Danquah-Adu’s death affected Parliament especially, with the House even deferring sitting on the day the news broke and the members expressing fear for their lives.

Indeed, if there is something to write home about the unfortunate event, it is the fact that Parliament House has become more secure, with security presence at all times.

Members of Parliament, who hitherto took the issue of their security lightly, have also attached some importance to their safety and put certain measures in place to ensure their security.

We do not wish to remind the family and those who benefited from the late MP’s benevolence of their pain and great loss, but we are minded to remind all members of the public to personally take responsibility for their security and safety at all times and not only when a tragedy takes place.

This means we must be wary of all suspicious persons who lurk around our places of abode or workplaces, including those who ride around communities on unregistered motorbikes and rob people at gunpoint and with knives, sometimes in broad daylight.

It is gratifying to know that now even churches do not take security matters for granted and always remind their members to take their personal belongings and valuables with them when they leave their seats to give their offerings.

The police are there to protect all citizens, but we are all aware that there are not enough policemen to protect us at all times and also simultaneously — the reason we must all become security conscious.

Perhaps we must revisit the era of communal living when everyone was everyone’s neighbour and people went to the aid of persons who were attacked either on the streets or in their homes when we heard cries for help.

What also happened to the community watch committees that kept vigil over us when community members slept? We must bring them back.

The Daily Graphic urges the intensification of the community policing system to enable us to weed out the bad lots from our midst, so that we can live in safety and not fear.

We also urge the institution of proper security precautions at all public places, so that unsuspecting patrons are not mugged. We believe it should be a requirement for running a public place.

Ultimately, however, we must all be responsible for our individual security and safety and be watchful wherever we go, whenever we pick taxis and also in our homes.