Muntaka Mubarak, the Minister-Designate for the Ministry of Interior and MP for Asawase, presented his vision for Ghana’s internal security during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 24, 2025. His plans focus on police reform, prison conditions, recruitment transparency, and other pressing issues. Below are six key highlights from his session:
1. Mandatory Use of Body Cameras by Police Officers
Mubarak pledged to ensure all police officers wear body cameras during duty to curb misconduct, including extortion and brutality. He emphasized that body cameras would enhance accountability and serve as evidence in cases of alleged misconduct, stating, “When you put the body camera on, everywhere you are, you are being recorded.”
2. Reforms in Recruitment and Promotions
To address frustrations within security services, Mubarak vowed to implement reforms in recruitment and promotions. He highlighted systemic challenges like delayed promotions and limited career growth opportunities, proposing codified promotion structures, merit-based advancements, and transparent evaluations. He also detailed the multilayered approval process for senior police ranks, which includes presidential endorsement for higher positions.
3. Improved Feeding Budget for Prison Inmates
Mubarak described the current GHC1.80 daily feeding allowance for inmates as “dehumanizing” and pledged to advocate for increased funding to improve inmate welfare. He noted that such conditions undermine the goal of rehabilitation and called for immediate action to address the issue.
4. Commendation for Police Conduct During the 2024 Elections
He praised the Ghana Police Service for their restraint in refraining from using firearms during the 2024 general elections, which contributed to the absence of police-involved fatalities. Mubarak committed to supporting the prosecution of individuals captured on video committing electoral offenses.
5. Renaming Prisons to Correctional Centres
As part of his vision for prison reform, Mubarak advocated for rebranding Ghana’s prisons as “correctional centres.” He emphasized the importance of changing societal perceptions of ex-convicts to facilitate their reintegration, stating, “The fact that one has gone to prison does not make them a different breed of human.”
6. Strengthening Internal Security Services
Mubarak outlined plans to strengthen Ghana’s internal security systems by enhancing personnel management, adopting modern technology, and improving resource allocation. He stressed the importance of addressing systemic issues and fostering transparency to build public trust in security services.