Personal security the way to go

In the face of global threats, personal security and safety has become imperative.

With the steady rise in crime across the globe, individual safety and personal protection can no longer be compromised if we are to avoid threats to our lives.

For instance, it should be possible for every individual to identify any form of security breach in his home or office, such as faulty locks, poorly installed cameras, broken windows, etc.

As individuals, we must also endeavour to ensure that our daily environment is safe.

The recent threats and attacks by some miscreants in the West African sub-region and other parts of the world come readily in mind.

Worthy of note is the vigilance exhibited by two faithful of the Roman Catholic Church in Hamile in the Upper West Region who, together with the church leaders, alerted the police to the presence of a Burkinabe with a gun at the church who has since been arrested.

The Daily Graphic would like to associate itself with the call by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Ghanaians to be vigilant and report suspicious characters who get to various communities to take advantage of the country’s hospitality to unleash mayhem on the people to the security agencies.

Addressing thousands of Muslim faithful who thronged the Independence Square in Accra yesterday to offer prayers and thanksgiving during the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr after a successful Ramadan fast, the President also called on Ghanaians of all faith to exercise restraint in the face of provocation because the lack of restraint would only feed into the destructive plans of the miscreants who seek to destroy in the name of religion.

These are two pieces of admonition that must be taken very seriously by all Ghanaians, notwithstanding their religious beliefs.

Thankfully, Ghana is globally acclaimed to be hospitable and a safe destination.

It is one of the few countries that have different religions peacefully co-existing.

A classic case in point was the recent visit by the National Chief Imam to the Christ the King Catholic Church in Accra to meet the Parish Priest, Father Campbell, as a gesture of solidarity between the two faiths — Islam and Christianity.

There are several other instances which all point to the cordial ties existing between and among different faith-based organisations.

However, as a nation, we cannot rest on our laurels, assume that all is well and that we are isolated from the global threats of terrorism and its related activities.

That is why we need to keep vigilant as a nation all the time and make sure that, as a collective, we keep our security and safety intact.

Indeed, as a country, we must endeavour to preserve the prevailing culture of religious tolerance and not sacrifice it for any consideration.

The youth in particular must not take the law into their own hands but be law-abiding and responsible citizens contributing their quota to the development of the country.

It is only by so doing that we can work to ensure that our country is safe from miscreants whose avowed goal is to cause mayhem and bring suffering and pain to innocent citizens who have done no wrong to them.

As our Muslim brothers and sisters celebrate Eid, the Daily Graphic would like to wish them well.

We plead with our Muslim communities to lead the way in upholding dearly the good tenets of Ramadan — to live lives of righteousness and fulfilment.

It is our expectation that the blessings that come with the celebrations will remain with us for a very long time and lead the country to peace and prosperity.