The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ododiodiodio Constituency, the honorable Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has outstandingly urged and called on the government to invest lots in the training of professional Close Protection Officers to protect the lives of government officials and heads of institutions. He noted this as one of the vital features that the government has to take into consideration as such.
However, according to the aforementioned MP, this would also, however, free the police and the military from carrying out close or related features of protection duties and focus on their statutory mandates.
He had been sourced to speak at Wednesday’s graduation ceremony of the maiden Close Protection Training (CPT) held at the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Accra. The graduation was mainly for the incoming officers and how far they have ascertained their roles and tasks per person.
While, notably, the four-week training in partnership with the Delta Flash Protection Agency (DFPA) forms part of efforts to promote highly skilled professionals, above all well equipped with the requisite knowledge and practical expertise to carry out their duties more professionally and in an advanced manner.
He quoted and noted, “I think that as a country, once we are developing, we should develop in all aspects, especially when it comes to our security. However, we have always relied on the police and the army to protect state officials, but that is not the best since it is not part of their mandate,” he stated strongly with positive points.
He further added that “close security is assured when we have professionally trained people who will take care of our very important personalities (VIPs). In that situation, it would free our policemen so they could attend to their mandate.” This helps.
He recalls the incidents; thus, the kidnapping of some Takoradi girls in 2021 gave the country a reason to take care of its security and invest in professionals and well-organized personnel to protect people of higher authority.
Meanwhile, in all, during the graduation, 12 participants graduated, were presented with certificates, and looked forward sturdily to using their newly acquired training to protect lives.
The participants were also taken through training such as fire protection, self-defense firefighting, swimming and survival skills, threat identification, covert and overt surveillance, and trip and medical intelligence. These training officers believed strongly that they would help and guide all officers during their execution moments.
Amazingly, they also had training in vehicle and personal security, which was outstandingly the best to help, as well as tactical surveillance and countermeasures with multiple weapon handling features, not forgetting close and distance monitoring, criminal investigation, and acts of terrorism at the end.
