Mrs. Afi Yakubu, Executive Director of Foundation for Security Development in Africa (FOSDA) on Thursday urged security agencies to promptly react to issues threatening the peace and security of the nation.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the state of security in the country she stated: �our security intelligence should be sharpened in order to react promptly to issues that threaten the peace and security of our country.�
�Even though Ghana appears to be in a very comfortable situation, we should not lower our guards�.
FOSDA is a non-governmental organization which focuses specifically on promoting the development of comprehensive human security programmes where issues of good governance, economic empowerment, reduction of violent armed conflicts and constitution democracies become a dominant culture in the sub-region.
Mrs. Yakubu said the security of the country is not only the responsibility of the security agencies but also the citizens, adding that, armed robbery and murders are not the only threat to peace and security.
�The frequent burning of commercial places like the market, comments made by the public on issues, people brutalizing fellow humans, drug trafficking and land guards are all threats to security,� she added.
Mrs. Afi Yakubu said issues concerning land ownership and land guards have not been professionally addressed, and �this exposes our security in a very bad light, which goes a long way to affect investor confidence in the Ghanaian economy�.
She appealed to chiefs to assist in maintaining peace and security in their various communities, as the Andani chiefs are doing in their recent Damba Festival celebrated by the Abudus, which is a testimony that tribes in conflict can settle their own differences.
Mrs. Yakubu said playing politics with tribal conflicts is very dangerous, undemocratic and an enemy to national development.
�It is the responsibility of every Ghanaian to encourage people who are in conflicts, to resolve their differences, since it has a bearing on the economy,� she stated.
She urged government to encourage and support activities that will unite people in conflict areas.
Mrs Yakubu said tragic outcomes of violence have dangerous consequences for all Ghanaians, no matter where they live��People died over disputes that might have been solved by negotiations if lethal weapons were not so easy to obtain throughout the country�.
She noted that FOSDA since 2000 has led the campaign on action against the misuse of small arms and light weapons in West Africa.
The FOSDA Executive Director therefore called for multi-faceted efforts to deal with security in the country.
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