Security heads to share intelligence – Nitiwul
The Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, has hinted that security heads in West Africa have teamed up to ward off threats of terrorism in the sub-region.
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He told Parliament last Wednesday that the security operatives in the subregion had agreed to share intelligence on terrorism activities in order to give early warning signals.
Mr Nitiwul, therefore, urged the public to provide the police with information about suspicious individuals, or religious groups who might be harbouring any terrorism tendencies.
He was contributing to a statement on the global fight against global terrorism made by the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu and the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the floor of Parliament.
Mr Nitiwul said although Ghana had been spared terrorism acts, the dynamics in the country were similar to those of Nigeria, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire and other countries which had suffered such attacks.
He, therefore, urged parents to monitor the activities of their children to ensure that they were not brainwashed by terrorists.
He cautioned the public to be careful of the dangers that the social media posed.
Mr Nitiwul urged Ghanaians to maintain their religious tolerance since it was the reason for the prevailing peace in the country.
For instance, he said in many places in Ghana, one could see a mosque and a church standing side by side.
Temptation
Mr Ablakwa said there was the temptation that because Ghana had so far not witnessed any terrorist attack, it might not be a target of terrorist organisations and therefore might not take any steps to guard that.
He said modern terrorism was a messy free-for-all move without boundaries and limitations and no country or nationality was immune.
Mr Ablakwa, therefore, urged Parliament to collaborate with the Executive and the Judiciary in protecting the nation's territorial integrity and guarantee the safety of all Ghanaians.
Religious connection
The Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, said there was no connection between terrorism and Islam as the Qur'an, the teachings of Prophet Muhammed and the Islamic jurisprudence were against acts of terrorism.
He said the terrorists had their grievances and that they only rode over Islam to settle their scores, adding that, "You cannot be a Muslim and engage in terrorism."
Alhaji Muntaka said the terrorists should be treated as criminals but not as followers of any religion.
The Deputy Majority Leader, Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo, expressed worry that young graduates were being recruited to engage in terrorism.
She, therefore, urged the youth to resist the temptation to join any terrorist group since "it is a job of killing people".
