President Akufo-Addo unaware of Al-Qaeda presence in the country, pledges to handle security independently

Ghana's President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that he has no knowledge of the presence of terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda in the country. 

During a joint press conference with the US Vice President, Kamala Harris, the President acknowledged the possibility of terrorist cells in Ghana but confirmed that security agencies are vigilant and on top of the matter.

“The presence of Al-Qaeda in Ghana? I don’t know. Formally, we don’t have any information to that effect," President Akufo-Addo said.

"It may well be that there are cells et Cetera already in the country, but those are matters that the security agencies are very much on top of, and we are hoping that there will be no Al-Qaeda presence in Ghana. That has to be the wish of anybody who is a friend of this country who wishes the Ghanaian people well.”

He added that Ghana intends to handle its own security issues without foreign assistance. 

“We want to be in a position to resolve our own security problems ourselves as much as possible, without the intervention of foreign troops,” he said.

The US Vice President, on the other hand, pledged to support Ghana in its bid for debt forgiveness from the Paris Club, stating that the US will provide all necessary aid to ensure Ghana's economic stability.