National Security Apparatus My Ass… Leave the Ghanaian people alone!

By Concerned Citizen, Togbe Foyie, Houston TX
I read with regret and disappointments by the so-called Security Apparatus' actions that seek to intimidate and cause financial hardship to the citizens of Ghana. It is even worse if you are identified as a non party member of the ruling Government. Their actions are only not a disgrace to “African Security Intelligence” but a slap in the face of our Law Professor cum President, the increasing graduates of Harvard, Yale, MIT, Oxford, etc, and a complete failure of Ghana's multiparty democracy.

This fume should not be seen as a direct response to the ruling government's defense to the Bureau of National Investigation's unprofessional action to seize video assets of a tax payer and law-abiding citizen (although that necessitated this piece) but seen as a genuine criticism of the Security Agencies' operational activities. This continual behavior of our intelligent and security communities such as the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), National Security Agency (NSA), Police Administration, Ghana Arm Forces, Customs Excise & Preventive Service, Castle Boys, and the list long goes on and on, must be resisted at all cost and instead, assist its management and branding as “citizens' friends”. If you are still wondering what this pitcher is hammering about then let me be the last to make their actions known to you.

Go to Tema Harbor and talk to both Shipping Agents and Importers of legitimate goods about their daily ordeal at the hands of NSA, CEPS, etc. Ignore complains of the cocaine dealers and counterfeit goods importers--these folks will have nothing disparaging to complain about except to praise the intelligence community of their “hard work” and 'friendliness' towards them. Their comments unravel a lot about our agencies. Let us focus on the hard working tax payers, of which I am one. Until you import legitimate goods, (in my case export) through Tema Harbor, you may brush away every fact I utter. The bribe starts from the gate man at the Jubilee Container Terminal to the CEPS personnel, to NSA at checkout then finally the police at check points on the road. Anas Ameyaw has given us enough to believe that my revelations are not strange so there is no need to recap these stories. All I am saying is that this behavior is ongoing and it must stop now! Uncle Atta, please use more undercover personnel to flush out these “enemies of the nation”.

NSA, please, do not allow few greedy bastards to turn you against your own people. The Agency will be reliable and informative if you befriend the people and let them know that you are on their side. America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are effective not because of their heavy machinery (in some part, yes) or big budget BUT because they have earned the respect and admiration of the citizenry. Let the FBI put up a postal for request of some information on a fugitive or any bordering security issue and see how the people will respond… sometimes the information come from relatives of the fugitive. Why so? Because they trust that the FBI will protect the fugitive and only ensure that justice is administered. Not so in our country, I won't release any information on any fugitive especially my family member just because I do not trust a) the security apparatus, and b) justice system that is marred by politicians, castle boys, deputy ministers, so called party big wigs of the ruling party, etc.

Again this is not NDC sickness or NPP endemic acts but legitimate and indigenous acts that have crippled into these Agencies. I sincerely believe there are good folks that have the desire to do things differently (right) but the fear of these party big wigs that will ensure their transfer to the rural areas or demotion or even termination deter them from pursuing the right course—a deterrent which takes fanatic and patriotic citizens to overcome!

Let me suggest practical solutions to the pandemic in these Agencies:

Ethics: I strongly recommend that all agencies be made to undergo ethics classes to enable them identify right and wrong and pursue the former—always! I am assuming most of these guys do not have any ethical education… If they do, then it is a shame to their instructor and their intelligence.

Contractual: I suggest that these Agencies have their agents be hired on firm contractual basis expanding pass 2 presidential terms. This will ensure that the new governments cannot prematurely end their contract to put its handpicked men in these positions. I accept that key positions such as the Minister for that sector must be from the ruling government but what about the guy that is assigned to some government appointees? He loses job once a new government is sworn in just because he did his job to be a security agent for a former government official.

Increase Pay, Terminate Dishonesty Agents: I suggest that the various Agencies conceive the idea of the fewer the pride. The African ideology that quantity matters quality is immaterial must not be allowed to take root in the management of these Agencies. That idea works well for the commodity sector and that explains why one buys jeans (once $50) from the US for $10 on sale thinking it could be sold for $15 in Ghana only to come down to find out the hard way; that there are Dubai or China look-alikes for $5. For now, it appears these Agencies are being managed on that same concept and I suggest otherwise.

I hope someone is reading and will take the open advice. I am sure readers will add more so please do not forget to read the comments section for more advice that will help shape our country's security agencies for the betterment of our beloved country, and very importantly foster relationship between the people and the Agencies. As citizens, we are always here to help with constructive criticisms. We do not intend to be enemies of our own Security Agencies. Our goal is to live as neighbors, friends, respect one another unconditionally, and ensure that justice takes it course without hindrance by any…

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