Senior officials from all 11 security agencies under the Ministry of the Interior have donated GHS1 million to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as the Mahama Cares Fund, to support Ghanaians battling chronic illnesses.
The donation, announced on Friday, June 20, includes contributions from key state institutions such as the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, National Disaster Management Organisation, Ghana National Fire Service, Narcotics Control Commission, National Identification Authority, Gaming Commission, National Peace Council, Ghana Refugee Board, and the Small Arms Commission.
Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohunu, broke down the individual contributions: “The Police Service contributed GHS580,000, Immigration gave GHS100,000, Fire Service donated GHS50,000, NADMO also gave GHS50,000, and the Prisons Service presented GHS50,000. NACOC gave GHS10,000, NIA contributed GHS50,000, the Gaming Commission GHS50,000, the Peace Council and Refugee Board donated GHS5,000 each.
The Minister for the Interior added GHS50,000, his deputy GHS30,000, and the Small Arms Commission also donated GHS10,000. In total, we raised GHS1 million and GHS2,000.”
Responding to the donation, President John Dramani Mahama revealed that he had directed the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Special Adviser on Government Affairs to begin collecting one-month salary contributions from political appointees at the Presidency. “I will soon present my cheque to cover the pledge I made. I have advised the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Special Adviser on Government Affairs to start collecting the one-month salary pledges from all political appointees at the Presidency,” he announced.
In a related development, the President has approved a GHS1 billion budget to retool the country’s security services.
This follows concerns raised during a recent Security Council meeting about operational challenges across the sector. “I have managed to squeeze the hand of the Minister of Finance behind his back, and we will now get a GHS1 billion budget for the retooling of your various services. Fire Service urgently needs equipment. I empathise with them when they are insulted for arriving late to fire scenes.”
He explained that much of the Fire Service’s equipment was over a decade old, with no comprehensive upgrade since. “The truth is, some of their equipment was purchased over ten years ago, and there has been no retooling since. The public must be patient with our firefighters; they are doing their best under very difficult circumstances,” he added.
On the condition of the Ghana Police Service, the President expressed concern about their capacity to handle armed threats. “Our police officers face armed robbers daily, and we can’t expect them to do so in light-skinned vehicles. They need adequate protection and modern equipment,” he stressed.
