The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, has asked security personnel at border communities to educate the communities on terrorism and other activities that could threaten the nation’s security.
He urged security personnel, especially those along border communities, to raise awareness among the populace of how they could be vigilant in gathering information on illicit arms, trade, manufacture and smuggling, to enable the law enforcement agencies to act swiftly on such issues.
Mr Dery gave the charge in a speech read on his behalf at a ceremony held recently to induct the third batch of 30 officers of the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons trained at the Ghana Immigration Academy.
He noted that creating awareness among the communities would empower them to support the security agencies to promote the nation’s peace.
Mr Dery said the basic principles of small arms control and their interlinkages with peace, security and development of the country and West Africa had all been made clear to the new officers.
Mr Dery indicated that the security landscape within West Africa had changed significantly and that it now faced new forms of threats characterised by terrorism, insurgency, maritime insecurity, cybercrimes, rising levels of violent extremism and transnational organised crimes.
He explained that the threats and their devastating effects on internal security and civilian populations were mostly carried out using small arms and light weapons as major tools.
He said the Ministry of the Interior had endorsed and supported the commission’s efforts to establish their presence in all regional capitals and strategic locations such as borders and the harbour, to ensure operational effectiveness and deliver on their mandate.
Containerised offices
The Executive Secretary of the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Samuel Williams Yeboah, for his part said, they had set up containerised offices at some strategic borders such as Elubo, Paga and the Tema Harbour waiting to deploy staff there to support the efforts of the security to fight cross-border illicit flow of arms.
Bernard Gyasi Abrokwah, a newly recruited officer, said he and his colleagues would safeguard peace and security in the country.
SOURCE: GraphicOnline
