Albert Kan-Dapaah, National Security Minister
The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has admonished the public to be vigilant and extra careful about their personal and communal security.
Mr Kan-Dapaah, in a statement issued yesterday, pointed out that there is growing threat of terrorism in the sub-region and Ghana is not an exception, hence the need for the security enhancement in public places.
He continued that several of the neighbouring countries had suffered attacks from terrorist groups as their activities have spread from the Sahelian region towards the coastal West-African States.
“Our immediate neighbours, Burkina Faso, Cöte d’Ivoire and Togo have all experienced such attacks and we have to recognise that our country remains a target as the security services work to keep us all safe,” he said in a statement.
He asked operators of places where people gather in masses, especially public places of entertainment and worship, to heighten vigilance.
The Minister suggested the employment of trained guards, deployment of security gadget and lighting of places of public gatherings as means of curbing the threats.
“We urge the managers of public places and gatherings to be extra vigilant; we want to reassure the public that the security agencies and all those charged with maintaining the security of the state are working hard to ensure the safety of our country and its people,” he added.
Earlier caution
Early this week, the Ministry cautioned religious bodies in the country against possible terrorist attacks, stressing the urgent need for precautionary measures to be taken by all relevant stakeholders.
The caution was contained in a notice signed by the National Security Coordinator, Major General Francis Adu-Amanfoh (Rtd), and distributed to various stakeholders, including the leadership of the various religious groups in the country.
The notice said “in view of the growing threat of terrorism from the sub-region, and the expansionist drive of terrorist groups towards coastal West-African States, with a renewed modus operandi of targeting public gatherings, including places of worship”, it is imperative that precautionary measures are taken by all stakeholders.
The warning comes barely a week after the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, had indicated there had been about 840 terrorist attacks within the West African sub-region, resulting in over 2,000 casualties, in the first quarter of 2022.
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