Opinion › Feature Article       21.02.2019

The Increasing Insecurity In Ghana And Why The President Must Be Blamed

I need not substantiate that Ghana is in trying times. Never in the annals of our political history have we had a porous security system like we have today. In fact, our security was recognized as one of the best. It is not for nothing that the United Nations have been relying on us for peace missions for some time now. It is indisputable also to mention that our men were professional, discipline, operating within the security commands and acting within the remit of rule of law.

A nation is no nation if it has porous security especially at the time that we are battling with global terrorism and the complex emerging cybersecurity. The African continent including the West African Sub Region has already tasted the wicked acts of terrorists.

This, hitherto unknown in Africa, is gaining notoriety because of the actions and inactions of political actors who have their own motives and consider same to be more paramount than national security. If you look around Africa and possibly monitor the activities of terrorists and their inhumane activities and juxtaposing same with current happenings in Ghana, you would not need any rocket science to draw logical conclusions on the security of Ghana.

Indeed, we have a porous security system.
The chronology of events of lawlessness from unscrupulous people and political vigilante groups in this country have been consistent. The seeming endless happenings of such antidemocratic acts is obviously as a result of the lack of political will by political actors to nib the bud. It does appear, that such ungodly acts perpetrated by these hoodlums have the tacit endorsement of powerful political actors who parochially feed on such insecurity.

These powerful individuals and their groups of blood tasty bandits are political vultures who devour the peace, unity and tranquillity of mother Ghana for their personal aggrandisement. The law is bent or sometimes given a blind eye so as to provide a fertile ground for such criminals who operate on a command chain with political leanings. This is really a sad narrative!

These mountainous occurrences have succeeded in destroying the state of nationhood, rule of law and nationalism. Patriotism nows become party patriotism and nationalism becomes political power. The ordinary citizen is left to his fate, giving all the space for the power play.

Lucidly, there is no sense of nationhood because the government has failed its primary function. The primary function of every government in a democratic state is to provide security to its people. The fundamental human rights that are enshrined in the 1992 constitution and/or by the United Nation Charter are all guaranteed only when there is security in the country. The lack of security renders these human rights useless and impracticable.

The inability of the government to provide security to its people is a breach to the very law that establishes the authority of government. The current situation where we have many accounts of attacks on security personnel by political thugs, many questionable murder cases, kidnapping and brutalities of ordinary citizens by state security operatives among other unpleasant narratives, give me a clear conscience to say without any equivocation that the President of Ghana is not on top of his role in ensuring that citizens are given the maximum security to do their daily activities without any fear and panic. The president cannot exonerate himself in this state of lawlessness.

Anybody who has done a little reading on the legal regime of our security would agree with me that the president and his team of 111 ministers have failed woefully, the good people of Ghana.

For the avoidance of doubt and for the purposes of education, let me succinctly take you through portions of the 1992 constitution of Ghana, which is the supreme law of this country. An objective appreciation of those portions would guide us to know frankly that the president is the architect of our current woes.

Firstly, Chapter 8, (Articles 83 and 84) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana vests in the government, specifically the President, the responsibility for ensuring the security of the country.

Again, the Chapter sets up the National Security Council whose meetings must be chaired by the President with the Vice President, the Inspector General of Police etc, as members.

Its functions include, “considering and taking appropriate measures to safeguard the internal and external security of Ghana; ensuring the collection of information relating to the security of Ghana and the integration of the domestic, and foreign security policies so as to enable the security services and other departments and agencies of government to cooperate more effectively in matters relating to national security”.

Chapter 15, (Articles 200 to 204) vests in the Ghana Police Service the task of ensuring internal security and whenever there are security lapses or breakdown of law and order, the government must not hesitate to apply very stringent sanctions.

From the constitutional references substantiated above, we need to be bold and come together as citizens to hold government headed by President Akuffo Addo, accountable for this unprecedented lawlessness.

While it is understandable that many voices are loudly silent for fear of victimization, it would be suicidal for this avoidable insecurity to persist. It would affect the economy in the long term. This is because insecurity will certainly affect investor confidence, affect our diplomatic relations with the international communities and conversely reincarnate the culture of silence in the country. Are we progressing or retrogression? The later is the case of Ghana.

I want to urge the government to stop the partisan approach to security issues and take pragmatic measures to let our security work again.

Ghanaians are in fear and panic!!!
Ghanaians are being murdered!!!!
Ghanaians are being kidnapped!!!
Ghanaians are being brutalised!!!!
Ghanaians are being exposed to terrorists because of the activities of party hoodlums!!!

Ghanaians are suffering!!!
Ghanaians are in constant fear!!!
Ghanaians are being victimised for political convenience!!!!

Ghanaians cannot continue on the path of wickedness and tyranny!!!

Ghanaians can't continue with this crass incompetence of government on the security of Ghana!!!

Ghanaians deserve better because it is their mandate upon which you are a president today!!!

Let every Ghanaian speak out and save this country from looming destruction.

Enough is enough!!!!!
Denis Andaban
Ngmen-na-eng-fanga

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