The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has directed all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to establish robust early warning systems at the local level to help identify and deal with potential security threats before they escalate into full-blown national security concerns.
He stressed that the early warning system must particularly focus on identifying triggers of communal disputes, cybersecurity threats, and local vulnerabilities.
"You must put watertight systems in place to identify the signs of these potential threats and report them to the national level for prompt action; do not wait until things escalate and get out of hand before you begin to tremble and put everyone at risk," he stressed.
Mr Ayariga emphasised that the MMDCEs must also strengthen engagement with key stakeholders at the grassroots levels because security was a shared responsibility "and there is the need to listen to security concerns of the ordinary citizens and address them".
He was speaking at the opening session of a training workshop organised by the National Security Secretariat for the 29 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Greater Accra Region to build their capacity on the new Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026 (Act 1168).
Context
Ghana's Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026 (Act 1168) reforms the country's national security framework by removing the substantive position of the Minister of National Security and restoring the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to the former Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
President John Dramani Mahama assented to the new law on March 31, 2026, following its passage by Parliament.
Among other things, the new law formally established the Office of the National Security Coordinator alongside the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and the District Security Council (DISEC), empowering Regional Ministers to chair local operations intelligence briefings.
The training programme, which was organised in collaboration with the Greater Accra REGSEC, the Ministry for the Interior and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, was meant to discuss the provisions of the new law and build the capacity of stakeholders in the security architecture.
The Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak; the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, and the National Security Coordinator, Commissioner of Police (COP) Abdul-Osman Razak, attended the opening session of the training programme.
Mr Ayariga emphasised that putting the MMDCEs at the centre of the training programme was important because they were the heads of District and Municipal Security Councils and needed to have in-depth knowledge about the law.
He urged them to take keen interest in understanding the new legal framework because it had provided structures, with clear reporting channels to help transform security management.
"As MMDCEs, your roles are clear; you are responsible for security in your jurisdiction; if security does not work at the local level, it will not work at the national level," he stressed.
Caution
The Interior Minister, who emphasised the need for MMDCEs to strengthen security at the local level, expressed his displeasure at what he described as "their poor attitude" to the security matters.
Alhaji Muntaka's frustration stemmed from the poor attendance of MMDCEs to the training programme.
As of 10:30 am, when the Interior Minister took to the podium to address the participants, only six out of the 29 MMDCEs in the Greater Accra Region were present at the programme.
The visibly angry minister said it was unacceptable that the MMDCEs failed to attend the programme that was meant for them.
"The programme is meant for MMDCEs, and only six of you are here; your role is not just to be running around and doing politics; when there is movement of cocaine or drugs, they start from the communities; chieftaincy conflicts brew from the communities, and you need to be able to deal with them, but you are not here," he stressed.
Mr Muntaka underscored the need for the MMDCEs to change their working culture and be more responsive to security issues.
The minister urged the MMDCEs to do enhanced security briefings and engagement with key stakeholders to identify and prevent conflicts.
Proactive leadership
For his part, the National Security Coordinator underscored the need for MMDCEs to work closely with the security agencies and other stakeholders to make their jurisdictions safe.
"Early warning systems are key to preventing crimes and maintaining security at the local level, so do not wait for issues to happen before you show up," he said.
COP Razak stressed that the MMDCEs needed to deploy mediation as a viable tool for conflict prevention rather than resorting to the use of force after the horse had bolted.
Again, he urged the MMDCEs to improve their surveillance and information sharing regimes to identify foreigners within their jurisdictions and their activities.
He said it was through effective information sharing that potential security threats could be nipped in the bud.
