A video circulating on social media and spotted by The Chronicle shows a police officer filming an alleged presidential jet at the Ho Airport. In the footage, the officer is seen capturing detailed visuals of the aircraft and its components.
In the video, the officer captures detailed images of the jet, including its exterior and visible parts, while narrating the scene. Although The Chronicle cannot independently confirm the ownership of the aircraft or the full context of the recording, the conduct displayed in the video raises serious concerns.
The central issue is not the identity of the jet but the act itself. A uniformed police officer, by virtue of his position and access, was seen filming a sensitive asset within a restricted environment. This action, regardless of intent, constitutes a potential breach of security protocols and reflects a worrying level of carelessness by a state security official entrusted with the protection of critical national interests.
Even without confirmation of the jet’s ownership, the implications of such conduct are far-reaching and dangerous. Security is as much about perception as it is about protocols and when those entrusted to protect the state appear careless, public confidence inevitably erodes.
At this initial stage, the most alarming aspect was the ease with which the recording was made. Access to such spaces is not accidental. It is granted on the basis of trust, training, and adherence to strict protocols.
When an officer uses that access to create content for public consumption, it signals a serious breakdown in professional judgment. Even if the jet does not belong to the President, the act of filming and circulating detailed visuals of an aircraft in a controlled security zone is itself reckless.
This brings us to the second phase of concern: the broader implication for presidential and national safety. A President cannot be secure when officers tasked with maintaining law and order behave in this manner.
Security lapses do not always announce themselves through dramatic failures; often, they begin with small acts of indiscipline that are ignored or excused. Today it is a video; tomorrow it could be the disclosure of far more sensitive information.
The Chronicle is, therefore, calling on the Ghana Police Service to immediately investigate the officer involved and to delve deeper into how such conduct was possible. In countries with mature security cultures, this incident would trigger swift inquiries and firm sanctions. Ghana must aspire to no less. Our security institutions cannot operate on goodwill alone; they must be governed by rules that are enforced without hesitation.
Following the public circulation of the video and the growing concern it generated, the Ghana Police Service released a statement announcing the interdiction of five officers for misconduct related to the unauthorised use of police uniforms on social media. While this action was not directly linked to the Ho Airport incident, it is relevant in context. It demonstrates that the Police Service recognises the dangers posed by unregulated online behaviour by officers in uniform.
However, interdiction, commendable as a first step, must not become a public relations shield. If the officer who filmed the alleged presidential jet is among those interdicted, then the matter must not end there. Interdiction is temporary, accountability must be final.
The investigation must follow the issue to its root, establish culpability, and apply the law fully. If, on the other hand, the officer is not among those interdicted, then the Police Service must act with the same urgency and decisiveness it has shown in other cases.
Ultimately, this episode should serve as a turning point. The Ghana Police Service must reinforce the message that the uniform is not a licence for recklessness but a symbol of trust.
In an age where social media rewards attention over responsibility, security officers must be held to higher, not lower, standards. National security depends on it.
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The post Editorial: Breach Of Security Protocols Is Getting Out Of Hand, Let’s Check It! appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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