The National Security has held a regional stakeholders’ engagement in the Oti Region towards the review of the National Security Strategy (NSS) to respond to violent extremist activities that are posing a threat to the West African region.
The engagement, held in Dambai last Tuesday, was also to gather views on the security threats as inputs into the new strategy.
Participants were drawn from the security services, civil society organisations, students, clergy, traditional authorities, media, public and private institutions, among others.
The programme, the first in the series across the 16 regions, was organised by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in collaboration with the Regional Security Council.
Shared responsibility
The Technical Aide to the National Security Coordinator, Dr Mohammed Bako, said any disturbances would be setbacks to national growth and development.
He said the security of the country could not only be achieved by those in uniform but by all the citizenry since it was a shared responsibility.
“We are the custodians of our security to ensure that all government programmes and policies are carried out successfully,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the people for realising the need to prioritise and heighten their security, hence the regional stakeholders’ engagement.
Ghana launched its first NSS in 2020, and it is required by law to review it periodically.
Security awareness
The Regional Minister, John Kwadwo Gyapong, said the engagement was to create security awareness and trace wherever the challenges were and mobilise resources to combat them.
The participants
“The Oti Region shares border with Togo and faces intercommunal tensions, cross-border movement and the particular security dimensions of riverine communities. The region’s proximity to the satellite corridor makes security awareness more pertinent”, Mr Gyapong said.
