Security alert: Don’t ignore minor breaches
Security chiefs have started a series of engagements with members of the public, particularly owners of public places, as part of efforts to raise the consciousness of Ghanaians of potential terror attacks.
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The security chiefs have already met owners of hotels, supermarkets/malls and universities in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions.
Certain proactive measures had been put in place, according to highly placed security sources that the Daily Graphic spoke to.
The sources told the Daily Graphic that while the security chiefs were at it, Ghanaians needed to be vigilant and security-conscious in their day-to-day activities.
Engagements
As part of the engagements, they said security personnel and front desk officers of those facilities had been educated on how to identify suspicious characters.
They said the engagements included what members of staff of those public facilities should do on identifying suspicious characters and linking up with the security agencies.
Public
The security sources stressed the need for members of the public to endeavour to identify persons even in minor incidents or be able to provide a description of the incidents and the personalities involved.
Landlords, they said, should also take extra measures in knowing their tenants in respect of who they were and what they did in respect of work.
According to the sources, potential terrorists could rent private apartments from where they could strategise to cause mayhem.
National Security Council
Meanwhile, at its meeting held last Tuesday, the National Security Council urged Ghanaians and other nationals resident in Ghana to bear with security measures that might be enforced at various locations from time to time for the purpose of public safety.
A statement signed by the Communications Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, after the meeting, advised members of the public to be “vigilant, cautious and curious and report any unusual circumstances to the law enforcement agencies”.
It said the meeting, which was chaired by President John Dramani Mahama, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, reviewed the security situation in the wake of the upsurge in terrorist attacks in the sub-region.
The meeting, which was attended by service chiefs and all other members of the council, reviewed the recent attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire and current intelligence on extremist activities in West Africa.
Credible threat
The statement said on the basis of briefings by the intelligence agencies and partners, the council determined that there was credible terrorist threats to all countries in the sub-region.
“The council reviewed its anti-terrorism preparedness, joint service operations and other measures to ensure the safety of the citizenry,” it said, adding that the council would review the situation on a continuous basis.