Changing Election Dynamics: Ghana’s reaction to terror

In the upcoming months Accra and the rest of Ghana will be inundated with political advertisements promising the usual bouquet; free education, jobs, hospitals, roads and an end to the legendary “Dumsor” phenomenon. Politicians will travel the length and breadth of the country attending funerals, durbars and market days. These are the precursors to a Ghanaian election, and who ever does these best, coupled with a hit campaign song might next occupy The Flagstaff house. However I would ask Ghanaians to consider one more issue as the country heads to the polls later this year; security.

Burkina Faso rang in the New Year with a tragic and horrendous terror attack on the Splendid Hotel on January 16. Burkina Faso shares a border of about 600km with Ghana. March 13, 2016, terror attack on beach resort in Ivory Coast claimed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Ivory Coast shares a border of about 700km with Ghana. These are not claims to cause fear and panic but cold, hard facts. Whoever wins this year’s election will have to be a true commander in chief in a way that many past leaders have not had to and Ghanaians will do well to make the politicians remember that.

Ghana has taken steps to secure the country including parliament acting to arm to immigration service. However, more needs to be done. The Bureau of National Investigations, the Ghana Armed Forces, The Ghana Police Service and the military all require more investment. The nature of warfare has changed and Ghana must be ready to tackle flash urban warfare.

Unfortunately, as we have learnt from the Nigerian experience, corruption affects any attempt to fight terror. With a current Transparency International Index ranking of 56, the country must put in more work to ensure there are no holes in its war chest. Corruption in the military, intelligence services and government machinery will only make a bad situation worse. Winning any war on terror will a high level of anti-corruption patriotism.

These are times when ECOWAS must be empowered and solid structures put in place to ensure a cohesive and well concerted effort to fight terrorism. No one country can go it alone and information shared, is lives saved. By all means, have the meeting and conferences but the citizenry must ensure that when our roads are blocked creating massive vehicular traffic jams, it translates into positive, workable and measurable efforts to secure our countries.

No National Health Insurance Scheme or School feeding program can be run in an environment where terror rules the day. Ghana can also certainly bid adieu to any dreams of increased foreign direct investment if it doesn’t take concrete and measurable steps to ensure that it does not fall victim to acts of terrorism. An old proverb of the Ga ethnic group says “when you see your neighbours beard on fire, you fetch water next to yours.” So when the vans come round with the t-shirts and campaign messages, please ask, “And terrorism?”