According to him, the minister took the action in order to protect the image of the Togolese president, Faure Gnassingbe, whom he claims is Mr. Kan-Dapaah’s close friend.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ZhW2DuhfcF0BFF9mtnqHerYGH8XDb5QA”]“My suspicion and my later investigations have all proved that the National Security is complicit in this matter. Because the National security is a very close ally to Faure Gnassingbe and also he is a constant host of the Minister for Security in Togo, who always comes to Ghana,” Bernard Mornah said in an interview on Eyewitness News on Monday.

About 19 persons including Mr. Mornah were arrested by the Nima Police on Saturday morning when they gathered as members of the Ghana-Togo Solidarity movement to hold a peaceful march to draw the attention of local and international authorities to the political crisis in Togo.

According to the Police, they had earlier permitted Bernard Mornah and his group to undertake the peace march, however, they informed him later to cancel it due to operational challenges and intelligence that another group was trying to interrupt their activity.

But Mr. Mornah denied the claim, saying that he assured the police the peaceful march required very little police presence.

Bernard Mornah was however granted bail several hours later.

He lamented that the Police manhandled him and treated him in a way that violates his human rights.

He told Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News that the National Security Minister was complicit in the “uncouth” conduct of the Police against him.

“The Minister is always the one polluting the president about the happenings in Togo and eventually he had to use his office to push. I asked many people that I am close to in government that how come this could come about and it turned out that my suspicion of the National Security Minister is justified… If his friend is the minister responsible for security in Togo, and his friend is Faure Gnasingbe and we are bringing the issues of Togo so that people get to know the alarming situation, the abductions that are going on, and he does want that to be seen of his friends, what do you expect him to do?,” he quizzed.

“…I am scandalized that Ghana would want to position itself as ‘anti-people’s freedom’ in Togo and that they are for a government that has been dominated by one family for 50 years,” he added.

26 Togolese arrested for illegal protest in Accra

In October 2017, the Police arrested 26 Togolese nationals for attempting to stage an unlawful demonstration over the political situation in their country.

According to the Accra Regional Police Operations Officer, Chief Superintendent Kwasi Ofori, about 300 Togolese had to be dispersed lawfully at the Kawukudi Park because their intended action was in clear breach of Ghana’s public order act.

That was the second time that Togolese in Ghana have tried demonstrating in solidarity with efforts back home by the opposition to have presidential term limits.

Police condemned

Meanwhile, some Civil Society Organizations and individuals have condemned the Police for their recent actions especially against persons who plan to hold non-commercial special events.

Ghanaian innovator and researcher with IMANI Africa, Bright Simmons, challenged the Ghana Police over its suggestion that it must approve all notices of non-commercial events before they can be held.

According to him, that stance is not back by law.

What does the Public Order Act say?

The Public Order Act 1994 (ACT 491), from where the Police draws its authority in the holding of special of events indicates that, in attempt to stop a special events from occurring either because organizers refuse to comply with a request to postpone or relocate events, “police may apply to any judge or a chairman of a Tribunal for an order to prohibit the holding of the special event on the proposed date or at the proposed location.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kan-Dapaah ordered my arrest – Bernard Mornah alleges appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Ministry is undertaking the exercise with support from other state security agencies.

It explained that the exercise is to prepare the country against any potential threats posed by terrorists.

[contextly_sidebar id=”0HKGiBKOjYpvaQeiiCDQkJmy8P2iMakx”]Speaking at a media briefing in Accra, the Director of Counter-terrorism at the Ministry for National Security, COP George Asiamah, said threats posed by terrorism require proactive state measures hence the exercise.

Although he said Ghana has not experienced such attacks internally, “some regional, global trends and recent incidents in the neighbouring states gives serious cause for concern.”

“These threats and trends have necessitated for a holistic approach to preventing acts of terrorism. Terrorist acts culminate in crisis situations requiring a multi-agency response including strategies beyond conventional warfare to make us combat ready and ever prepared to combat terrorist threats. To this end therefore, we are going to embark on a security exercise coded Exercise Home Shield,” COP Asiamah added.

COP Asiamah further explained that, the ‘Exercise Home Shield’ will among other things include a simulation of terror attacks to assess how prepared the country’s security agencies are to handling such situations.

“This is a simulation exercise to mimic real life professional scenarios for an objective assessment of capabilities of counter-terrorism response agencies. In a nutshell, it is a form of rehearsal to sharpen our capabilities to respond to terrorist attacks and to recover from it,” he added.

Canada, UK issues terror attack alert in Ghana

The Canadian and US governments had recently issued terror alert to its citizens traveling to Ghana.

“There is a threat of terrorism. Terrorist targets could include shopping malls, government buildings, public areas such as bars, restaurants, hotels and sites frequented by Westerners. Be aware of your surroundings in public places,” a notice posted by the Canadian government in August added.

Man arrested for false terror alert at Accra Mall

The Ghana Police on November 3, 2017, arrested a 30-year-old suspect in connection with a false terrorist attack alert at the Accra Mall.

“The suspect was arrested in his hideout at Offinso in the Ashanti Region on 1st November, 2017, and is currently assisting Police in investigations,” the Police said in a statement.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Anass Seidu/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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President Nana Akufo-Addo has already said the newly-created ministry will ensure a balance of security and freedom for in the security sector.

In this light, Mr. Kan-Dapaah indicated that the Ministry of National Security will be handling issues like illegal mining and the more recent incidents of post elections violence.

Speaking during his vetting by Parliament, he said “as we go along, we should find a way of stopping such behavior [as the post-election distrubances] and I think the creation of a Ministry for National Security will then enable the ministry and the secretariat to be more accountable to the people of Ghana because we have to report to Parliament this time.”

He also described the canker of illegal mining as “one of the major security challenges” confronting Ghana adding that, “I think we should find a way to deal with it in a manner that can stop it.”

Given the sensitive nature of his portfolio, Mr. Dapaah’s responses to the questions raised during the public sitting were succinct.

The vetting transitioned to an in-camera sitting, away from the media and the public, where more detailed engagement on national security issues were expected.

About Albert Kan-Dapaah

Mr. Kan-Dapaah is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana.

He was a former partner in the international accounting firm, Pannell Kerr Forster. He worked in the Electricity Company of Ghana as the Director of Finance for six years before entering the Parliament of Ghana in January 1997.

He was the Minority Spokesman on Mines and Energy from 1997 to 2000. In 2001, he joined the government of President Kufuor and served in the Ministries of Energy, Communications, Interior and Defence between 2001 and 2008.

From 2009 to 2012, he chaired the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament of Ghana. He left Parliament at the end of 2012, and has since been adjunct lecturer in Auditing and the Director of the Centre for Public Accountability at the University of Professional Studies, Accra.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post National Security Ministry will ensure accountability – Kan-Dapaah appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.