“National Security” is a shared responsibility between Gov’t / Society – Kan Dapaah

The Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, says ensuring a peaceful and secured Ghana is a shared responsibility between government and the society as a whole, noting that the newly launched National Security Strategy (NSS) is a useful strategic document that should be embraced by both sides towards the desired attainment of a safe, secure and peaceful Ghana.

The NSS is the blueprint reference document for the coordination of the total national response effort to protect and safeguard the nation from threats, risks, challenges to its security and stability from both the domestic and international environments. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, outdoored the strategy on Monday the 7th of June 2021.

Delivering a public lecture to the Security and Intelligence Masters class at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), on the theme; “General Perspectives and Trends of National Security in Ghana”, Albert Kan-Dapaah noted that the new measures that can ensure human security issues is addressed is the whole-of-government and the whole-of-society approach as stipulated and projected by the NSS.

“Currently, the major trend within the intelligence community is the New National Security Strategy which was launched recently by the President of Ghana. It is the first of its kind to be produced since Independence. The document is the blueprint that outlines the strategic vision, mission and mechanisms for safeguarding and promoting Ghana’s national security interests”.

“The exciting aspect of the document is that it places more emphasis on human security. It adopts a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach toward mitigating national security threats. By this approach, the document further reinforces the notion that national security is the collective responsibility of all citizens and not just the sole responsibility of the Ministry of National Security” the National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah said.

“Indeed, the whole-of-government approach enjoins all other ministries to develop policies and frameworks from the National Security Strategy toward the attainment of Ghana’s National Security goals. More importantly, the coming into force of the strategy has triggered positive reforms across all facets of the national security architecture” the Minister further stated.

“Key among these reforms is the modernization of the operations department of the Ministry which would be critical for building trust between security personnel and the citizenry. I am confident that the National Security Strategy is a powerful document which holds the key to safeguarding the peace and security of Ghana even for generations yet unborn” Kan Dapaah added.

Security Spending

In his presentation, the National Security Minister noted that Ghana currently spends about 0.4% of its GDP on security. This figure, the Minister says “is way below the estimated 2% spent by Ghana’s neighbouring countries in the West African sub-region”. As a result, he noted that “procurement for equipment necessary for the enhancement of security in the country is a major challenge”. This situation the Minister says needs urgent improvement to ensure that the country’s quest to build a strong national security architecture is achieved.

“At the onset of the year, the Ministry of National Security in collaboration with the Defence and Interior Ministries have been aggressively pushing for an increase in the investment in the security sector. Mention can be made of efforts to revamp the Security Sector by recruiting more qualified personnel, organizing enhanced training programmes and providing the necessary logistics” Kan Dapaah noted.

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Security Threats

According Mr. Dapaah, the major internal threats that have potential to undermine the country’s peace and stability are “land and chieftaincy disputes, farmer-herder conflicts, youth unemployment, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, secession attempts by the Homeland Study Group Foundation and the Western Togoland Restoration Front, violent crimes such as armed robbery, and election-related violence”.

On the external front, the National Security Minister noted that “terrorism and violent extremism remain the foremost threats which require the concerted efforts of all State Security and Intelligence agencies to mitigate”.

He added that “events in the West African sub-region, particularly, in neighbouring Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and Niger, where the impact of terrorism has mostly been felt, and recent indications by some terrorist groups in the Sahel to expand to countries along the coast, should serve as a reminder that Ghana is not totally immune to the threat of terrorism”.

“Aside the internal and external threats, Ghana’s security architecture has been contending with new and emerging threats, notably, the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime and maritime insecurity. The effect of the COVID 19 pandemic, which affected all facets of our lives, are well reported and needs no elaboration. But the recent surge in piracy attacks on the territorial waters of Ghana underscores the need for critical attention to be given to maritime security” Kan Dapaah said.

Youth Unemployment

From a human security perspective, the National Security Minister observed that, “youth unemployment presents the greatest threat to National Security. Indeed, it is the single security threat that confront all countries in sub-Saharan Africa”.

Many youths in Africa, he says, have become survivalists and they wake up each day not knowing where their next meal will come from and over time, the instincts of such individuals become shaped by anger, hopelessness and despair”.

He further observed that “at their tipping point”, the unemployed youth “can do whatever it takes to survive including rising up in arms or subscribing to radicalization by terrorists and violent extremists”.

“Currently, Ghana’s youth unemployment rate is estimated to be 9.46%. Although, we are better relative to other countries in the sub-region, such a statistic must be reduced to its barest minimum if we hope to consolidate our peace and security now and in the future”.

“Thankfully, the reduction of youth unemployment through job creation is a major priority of the current government. I am hopeful that the government’s coordinated policies and programmes geared toward a post-pandemic recovery would lead to the creation of jobs for the youth in the country” Kan Dapaah said.

source: asaaseradio.com