By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Feb. 18, GNA – Mr Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, the Minister of the Interior, has outlined a vision to harness technology and foster strategic partnerships to promote and sustain peace in Ghana.
“I come to the Ministry of the Interior with two things in mind: how do we use technology to improve what we are doing? Because I know with very effective technology, the cost of running things can come down as much as sometimes 70 per cent,” he said.
“And then secondly, how do we partner private and non-governmental organisations to support what we are doing?”
The Minister was speaking on Monday when he paid a familiarisation visit to the National Peace Council (NPC) in Accra.
He highlighted the importance of engaging the private sector and non-governmental organisations in peacebuilding, explaining that heavy reliance on Government funding alone would not be sustainable.
The Minister praised the NPC for the unique role they played in addressing conflicts and upholding Ghana’s peace.
“Throughout the years, the National Peace Council has demonstrated its commitment to peace, nation building through various initiatives, including the promotion of inter-party dialogue, mediating conflict and timely interventions. These have helped resolve disputes and prevented escalation, fostering community engagement,” Mr Muntaka said.
He assured the NPC of the government’s commitment to improving its resources, efficiency, and operational capacity, adding that the Ministry of the Interior would always support its work.
Mr Muntaka proposed tax incentives for corporate entities and individuals who donate to the NPC, explaining that such contributions could be officially receipted and used to reduce tax burdens.
He acknowledged the increasing number of conflicts across the country, many of which escalated into violence and economic disruptions.
Even half of the funds used in deploying security forces during conflicts could be redirected to strengthening early conflict prevention mechanisms through the NPC, he said.
“Many do not realise how much it costs to send police and military personnel to disperse crowds or impose curfews. Maybe, as Minister, I need to start publishing these figures so that we all see how much money is being spent that could otherwise be used to support peace initiatives,” he said.
The Minister identified chieftaincy disputes as a major contributor to Ghana’s instability, revealing that over 90 per cent of conflicts requiring government intervention stemmed from traditional leadership struggles.
He urged the National House of Chiefs to expedite the codification of traditional succession rules to help prevent disputes over who ascends to stools and skins.
“If we do not act now, chieftaincy conflicts will consume us. It is like fire – it is good for cooking and for doing a lot of things but when it gets out of hand, it can burn everything that you have,” Mr Muntaka said.
“I think chieftaincy is a very noble institution and a very important one that brings cohesion and unity among people, but if it’s not managed very well, we are beginning to see the ugly eyes of it and its unfortunately gradually dragging almost all of us down.”
Mr George Amoh, the Executive Secretary, NPC, welcomed the Minister’s visit, being the first time an Interior Minister had engaged with the Council since their relocation.
He expressed concern over the lack of a permanent office space for the NPC and called for government assistance in securing a proper location for their operations.
Mr Amoh highlighted understaffing and insufficient logistics, particularly vehicles, to facilitate their work across the country, as well as more personnel to meet its growing responsibilities, especially after the creation of six regions.
Despite these challenges, he assured the Minister that any support provided would be met with hard work and dedication from the NPC staff.
“This gesture will not be taken lightly. We will reciprocate with commitment and hard work to ensure that we continue promoting peace and stability in Ghana,” he said.
GNA