National Security Secretariat rubbishes Mahama allegations on 'Asutuare thugs'

The National Security Council Secretariat has said allegations that party vigilante groups have been trained at one of its facilities ahead of the 2020 polls are false.

“Since 2009, recruits into this outfit have been provided with standard training. No persons other than regular national security staff are trained by the Secretariat at the facility. Although owned by the National Security Secretariat, the facility is managed and run on day to day basis by the Ghana Armed Forces. Other non-security state agencies and private institutions also use the facility to train their staff,” the Secretariat said in a statement dated October 18, 2019.

Former President John Mahama alleged last week that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is planning to wreak havoc and plunge the country into chaos during the 2020 elections.

He said he knows of a letter by the Upper West Security Council requesting that some members of the governing NPP be presented for combat training for next year’s election.

According to him, after following up on that letter it has emerged that the party indeed sent these executives to Asutuare in the Greater Accra Region to be trained.

He has described the situation as worrying, fearing that that singular decision could destabilise the country.

He made the allegations when he met with the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) President, Affail Monney, as part of a courtesy call the GJA President has been making to some identifiable groups.

However, in the press release by the National Security Council Secretariat and signed by the Head of Public Information Department at the Ministry of National Security, Major Ignatius Awuni (rtd), said the allegations are unfortunate.

“The makers of these allegations, who are immediate past government officials, are very familiar with these training programs even including similar ones conducted during their tenure. It is therefore unfortunate for such persons to seek to bastardize these standard and routine training exercises for political ends,” the statement said.

Read the full statement below.

STATEMENT

The National Security Council Secretariat has taken note of allegations that the National Security Training School at Asutuare is being used to train party vigilante groups ahead of the 2020 general elections.

The Secretariat hereby informs the public that this allegation is false and a deliberate effort to create false impressions about standard training programs of national security recruits.

Since 2009, recruits into this outfit have been provided with standard training. No persons other than regular national security staff are trained by the Secretariat at the facility. Although owned by the National Security Secretariat, the facility is managed and run on day to day basis by the Ghana Armed Forces. Other non-security state agencies and private institutions also use the facility to train their staff.

The makers of these allegations who are immediate past government officials are very familiar with these training programs even including similar ones conducted during their tenure. It is therefore unfortunate for such persons to seek to bastardize these standard and routine training exercises for political ends.

The Secretariat assures the general public that it will at all times ensure that it works to promote rather than undermine the security of the state.

MAJOR IGNATIUS AWUNI (RTD)

HEAD, PUBLIC INFORMATION DEPARTMENT MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY

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