By Kingsley Mamore
Dambai (O/R), Sept 9, GNA – The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has engaged stakeholders in the Oti Region as part of consultations towards the review of Ghana’s 2020 National Security Strategy.
The engagement, held in Dambai, sought to solicit practical and evidence-based inputs from stakeholders on emerging security threats and challenges peculiar to the region to inform the development of a responsive and comprehensive national security strategy.
Dr Bako Mohammed, Technical/Intelligence Aide to the National Security Coordinator, NSCS, said the security environment had evolved considerably since the adoption of the 2020 strategy, making it necessary to reassess existing threats and responses.
He said the review was not merely a routine exercise but a proactive effort to ensure that Ghana’s national security architecture remained responsive to changing local, regional and global security dynamics.
Dr Mohammed said national security was a collective responsibility and required the active participation of all relevant stakeholders, including security agencies, traditional authorities, local government institutions, civil society organisations, youth and women’s groups, religious bodies, academia, the private sector and communities.
He said the maintenance of peace and stability was critical to national development because insecurity could disrupt education, economic activities, social cohesion and the general wellbeing of communities.
Among the emerging threats requiring attention, he identified violent extremism and terrorism, transnational organised crime, trafficking in illicit arms, narcotics and persons, communal and chieftaincy-related conflicts, cybercrime, misinformation and disinformation, and climate-related security challenges.
He said misinformation and disinformation, particularly on social media, had become a growing concern because of their potential to inflame public sentiments, deepen existing tensions and undermine public confidence in state institutions.
Dr Mohammed said the potential southward movement of violent extremist activities from the Sahel towards coastal West African states also required strategic preparedness, particularly in vulnerable border communities.
He however, cautioned against creating unnecessary fear among the public, stressing that Ghana’s democratic institutions remained resilient and the country’s security services continued to demonstrate professionalism and commitment to protecting national peace and stability.
He said the Oti Region was particularly important to the review because of its unique geographical, social and security circumstances.
Dr Mohammed cited communal and chieftaincy-related disputes, land-related tensions, border vulnerabilities, illicit arms trafficking and other cross-border security concerns as issues that required careful consideration in the revised strategy.
He therefore called for stronger community-level intelligence gathering, effective early-warning mechanisms, enhanced border surveillance and closer collaboration between security agencies, traditional authorities and local communities.
According to him, security threats were not necessarily uniform across the country, and therefore required responses that took into account the peculiar circumstances of individual regions and communities.
“What confronts a community in the Oti Region may not necessarily be what confronts a coastal community in the Western Region, and vice versa,” he said.
Dr Mohammed urged stakeholders to use the consultation to identify security threats that might not be readily visible from the national level and provide credible information to guide policymakers.
He said the Secretariat was interested in establishing whether the threats already identified in the draft strategy adequately reflected the realities of the region, whether some threats had been overlooked or underestimated, and whether the proposed responses were practical, appropriate and achievable.
He encouraged participants to pay particular attention to early warning and preventive mechanisms, saying timely identification and reporting of potential threats could help prevent local disputes and other security concerns from escalating into major crises.
Dr Mohammed said stronger partnerships between communities and security agencies were also necessary to build trust and facilitate the timely sharing of information on suspicious activities and emerging threats.
He said the inputs gathered from the regional consultations would be documented and submitted to the committee responsible for reviewing the National Security Strategy for consideration.
He clarified that views expressed during the consultations would not automatically constitute government policy, explaining that the final strategy would be subject to the appropriate governmental processes before its adoption.
The Technical/Intelligence Aide urged stakeholders to participate in the process with candour patriotism and a commitment to the national interest.
“Tell us what you know, tell us what you observe, and tell us what you genuinely believe must be addressed,” he said.
Dr Mohammed expressed confidence that the collective contributions of stakeholders across the country would help produce a National Security Strategy capable of responding effectively to both existing and emerging threats.
He said Ghana had successfully navigated difficult security challenges in the past and, through sustained collaboration among state institutions and communities, could continue to protect its peace, stability and democratic gains.
The engagement brought together representatives of security agencies, traditional authorities, local government institutions and other relevant stakeholders to deliberate on the security concerns and priorities of the Oti Region.
The consultation forms part of broader stakeholder engagements being undertaken by the NSCS to gather regional perspectives for consideration in the review of the 2020 National Security Strategy.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/George-Ramsey Benamba