No sirens without approval: Cabinet directs MPs, public, restricts police escorts

Ghanaian officials are tightening control over the use of sirens and police escorts, directing that only the Interior Minister or the Inspector General of Police can authorize their use. This move, communicated to Parliament, aims to curb the irresponsible deployment of police resources.

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Honourable Members, the efficient, accountable and lawful utilisation of public resources is a matter of legitimate national interest.

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin read a directive from the Interior Minister, emphasizing that police personnel and resources are national assets. Their deployment must be judicious, equitable, and strictly legal. The indiscriminate use of sirens, he noted, undermines road safety and public confidence in lawful authority. It also diminishes the effectiveness of emergency services that genuinely require priority access.

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As lawmakers and representatives of the people, we bear an even greater obligation to demonstrate fidelity to the laws, the laws that we enact, and to uphold the highest standards of public conduct.

Lawmakers are reminded of their obligation to uphold the laws they enact and demonstrate fidelity to them. The directive encourages members of Parliament to seek guidance through established channels if they require clarification on applying the regulations. The Speaker's office will continue to engage with the executive branch to ensure compliance.

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I encourage honourable members who may require clarification regarding the application of the directive in particular circumstances to seek the appropriate guidance through the established institutional channels for compliance in accordance with law.