The government has ordered all financial institutions to install CCTV cameras on their premises as part of efforts to combat the increasing rate of robbery attacks on such institutions.
As part of the ongoing ‘Operation Calm Life’, the government has also said there will be increased surveillance of financial institutions, including banks, forex bureaus and other microfinance companies.
[contextly_sidebar id=”6yH5Wn4pxbYFoObddG9sbBux5ZHlIAq6″]Speaking after Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia called an emergency meeting with top security officials on Thursday, the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, said the CCTV cameras will be linked to a national operation command centre.
In the increasing spate of robberies, financial institutions have emerged as consistent targets for robbers.
In the Spintex road area alone, about 20 forex bureaux have been robbed in just 2018.
A Lebanese man was also robbed and killed after he after he had just withdrawn GHc 200,000 from the bank in the Tema Industrial Area.
All these are in addition to the attacks on mobile money vending spots in some major cities which have left a number of fatalities.
Outlining the measures to better protect financial institutions and their patrons, Mr. Hamid said “there will be enhanced surveillance on financial institutions, forex bureaus and money vending points across our cities.”
“Government also directs that all financial institutions take steps to install CCTV camera on their premises. The government will roll out a programme to link all these CCTV cameras to a national operation command centre,” the Information Minister added.
Other moves from government
In response to the recent robbery and murder cases, the government has said that:
- There will be heavy military and police presence in major cities across the country starting from today [Thursday, March, 1].
- There will be surgical operations in certain areas of the countries based on intelligence to flush out criminals and suspected criminals.
- That the Ministry of Energy has been directed to accelerate the pace of its cities and communities lighting programme in order to light up our cities and communities in especially crime-prone areas.
- The security personnel will crack down on citizens using mounted sirens on vehicles illegally.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana