BY Grace Zigah
A recent video circulating on social media has ignited a fresh wave of public scrutiny over the apparent use of state security personnel by relatives of prominent political figures.
The footage, which has since gone viral, shows Sharif Mahama—son of President John Dramani Mahama—attending a public event with what appears to be a soldier acting as his personal security.
The emergence of the video has raised eyebrows among Ghanaians online, with many questioning the criteria and justification for providing military escorts to individuals with no official government status.
While Sharif Mahama holds no known public office or national security role, the presence of an armed soldier accompanying him has fueled concerns about possible misuse of state resources and unequal application of standards by political elites.
Critics have pointed out what they perceive as a glaring contradiction between this situation and the grounds on which President Mahama recently suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Justice Torkornoo was sanctioned for allegedly breaching protocol by travelling with her husband and an adult daughter on an official trip.
The President’s decision has sparked significant backlash from legal experts, civil society organizations, and political observers, who argue that the punishment was excessive and politically motivated.
The timing of the video involving Sharif Mahama has deepened the controversy, as it raises questions about fairness and consistency in the enforcement of standards for public servants and their families.
Online commentators and political analysts have described it as an example of “double standards,” with some asking: if a Chief Justice can be penalized for being accompanied by her daughter, why is it acceptable for a President’s son to move around with military protection?
This is not the first time the issue of military escorts for civilians has stirred public debate in Ghana.
In previous years, members of then opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) vocally criticized state officials under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for similar conduct.
The NDC notably condemned the then Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa and former Attorney General Godfred Dame for allegedly using military or armed police details for personal protection.
At the time, the NDC described the use of such security arrangements as an abuse of state power and a threat to democratic accountability.
Now, however, some netizens are accusing the NDC and President Mahama of hypocrisy for failing to uphold the same standards they once demanded from their political opponents.
