For a very long time, Ghana has remained one of the safest countries in Africa, it is said to be the gateway of freedom and peace regardless of its internal conflict particularly in the Northern Part of Ghana. The last thing the nation will worry about is terrorism invasion although some of its neighboring countries have witnessed this inhumane act.
In February 2022, an intelligence report from the UN Security on Global Terrorism indicated that there is a suspected terrorism warehouse in Ghana, Togo and Benin which is set up by the Islamic State of Irag and the Levant (ISIS) in the Greater Sahara. Togo was recently attacked by terrorist and eight military men lost their lives, in Burkina Faso terror attacks have become a daily ritual, security experts say. In Northern Nigeria, the narrative is not different and in Mali and Chad, citizens are struggling for survival.
A recent report from West African Center for Counter – Extremism (WACCE) has indicated that the threat of terrorism is descending from the Sahal towards the Coastal areas. Ghana, a country that once enjoyed stability is at a higher threat of terrorism attacks if effective measures are not put in place.
“Today, more than 53% of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries are experiencing insurgencies. The pervasive spill over phenomenon makes Ghana’s bothers region a key area of concern’’, the report indicated.
Movement TV delve into the issue by Speaking with Security Analyst Saani Saani Adib. In his submission he said ‘’Ghana’s security threat is not a new thing; it has been there for some time. There have been attacked on all our neighboring countries with the exception of Ghana. We are in a critical time and we need to pay strict attention to our security system. Government must channel most of it attention to our security amidst the increased security threat’’.
“Before terrorist will invade a country they pay attention to certain things; the literacy status of the people, the socio-economic status and the grievances of the people. So they come in as saviours and in return they use the people for their personal interest. They take advantage of countries that are faced with conflict and tribalism. The never-ending Bawku Conflict, the Northern clash and the Western Togoland self-rule puts Ghana on a higher risk making it a potential target due to the rise in conflict’’, he opined.
“Government is trying to put our security threat under a wrap to avoid putting fear and panic in the people but it important the people are informed so they pay attention to their personal security’’, he added.
Every one walks freely into the mall, the church or the mosque without proper checks. We all have a role to play in the security conversation. We need to put in effective security measures in public spaces especially.
This is a call on government, security personals Institutions and individuals to rise up against our security threat, because we are sitting a time bomb.
Video below…