Former President John Mahama has given his assessment of the country’s security situation, describing it as poor.
“My assessment will be based on how Ghanaians feel and in my conversations with ordinary Ghanaians, they feel more insecure today than they did in the past. “There seems to be a spate of robberies, there are issues that didn’t exist before like kidnapping of children and so on. And then we feel a real threat of terrorism,” Mr Mahama said Monday.
The former President, who is seeking a comeback in 2020, made the comments on Citi FM’s Point Blank, a current affairs programme. He said although the threat of terrorism has always been there because of the activities of Boko Haram in the Sahel region, “recent reports show that some of these incidents are getting closer to Ghana.”
He said the recent attacks in Burkina Faso and others in Cote d’Ivoire has heightened the sense of insecurity among Ghanaians. “Security is important because it is necessary for societal progress. Without security, if people don’t feel secure, it affects investments; it makes people anxious and it affects development.
“And so security is something that Government needs to take seriously and, I believe that with the different dimensions of security scare, Government needs to take another look at what it is doing to make sure that we all feel safe,” he urged.
He has, therefore, urged Ghanaians to assist security agencies to keep the country safe from any attack.
The former President’s opinion about the country’s security situation comes on the back of a report by the Africa Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (ACSIS).
ACSIS has issued an alert that Salafi Jihadist group based in Burkina Faso has been moving in and out of Ghana through the border with Burkina Faso over the past four months.
According to ACSIS, the Salati-Jihadist has shifted its attention to Christian Churches in Ghana targeting the Northern part of the country and some illegal mining communities in the country after attacking a church in Burkina Faso. At least six people were killed in that attack.
2020 polls
Commenting on the upcoming general elections in which he will stand as a presidential candidate on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Mahama said he doubts the Electoral Commission’s ability to conduct credible polls.
He based his doubts on what he said is the lack of transparency in the way the Jean Mensa-led EC has conducted itself since assuming office last year.
“The current posture and the way they are conducting things makes us doubt that they will be neutral and fair in 2020,” he said.
“Public office is a hazard. I mean people will criticise you. The president is criticised every day not to talk about an electoral commissioner. And so you should not become sensitive to criticism and behave as if you are at war with a political party. And so I’ll advise that she changes her posture. Her posture doesn’t give confidence that she is going to be neutral in this matter,” he added.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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In 2015 about this time, Nana Addo was busily campaigning on serious issues. Mahama what new thing are you bringing on board. Ghanaians should know that Mahama has nothing new for our dear Nation. Let's ignore him utterly.
listen to this ediot you have the gust to import an acclaimed terrorist into the country that wasn't insecurity, your evil plan to make the country insecure would be visited on you and your evil ndc, ndc agyimifour ne abeyifour party you shall be in opposition for God knows nation wreckers
Was that not how Mahama and his party planned it? To make the country ungovernable, insecure? Wicked people. The Good Lord is watching and will never allow evil to prevail.
There he goes again!! Strictly adhering to the Ofosu Ampofo tape, John Ford Kanazoe Mahama has started the noise about insecurity in the country. Ofosu Ampofo said they should kidnap people, go after the EC Chairperson etc. John's interaction is only talking about insecurity and the EC chair. We know you now NDC. Ofosu Ampofo has said it and you are living it. Well hatched plan being executed. No wonder they started killing their own members in the NDC regional office in Kumasi and a fight errupted later where someone was landing a bench on a fellow NDC member. Does that ring a bell? Ghana is watching Mahama and soon we will act on their plans. Shame on you Mr. Incompetent.
Oh yes, Ghanaians were extremely secured under Mahama's leadership to the extent that a sitting member of parliament was murdered in his bedroom. I wonder how this character found his way to the presidency in Ghana. Terrible!
Mahama, the whole world has global security issues since the time immemorial. What policies has he got to make Ghana secured he should tell us and stop wasting our time Mahama has no message and he should give us a break.
I wonder if anyone listens to this irrelevant Kanazoe Ford bribe taker..... He is totally bereft of ideas.... only sensationalism. Enjoy your loot with your huge ex-gratia. Corrupt John Ford.
What is happening is only the work of NDC guys following Ofosu Ampofo's instructions as captured on the record of the NDc communicators meeting in February, 2019. John Mahama and his executives were part of the planning committee that proposed that NDC should create a sense of insecurity in the country so Ghanaians will feel insecure and protest. Since you care so much about the freedom of the media, why didnt you pay for radio Gold, XYZ as well as all the NDC media got their licenses renewed? Can you as a former president, hit your chest and say that your administration did well by allowing your radio stations to operate for nineteen years without licenses? You are such a lawless person leading a lawless party, and that's why NDC is always seeking to have confrontation with the police and authorities. You will remain in opposition, regardless of the Russian hackers that you have brought into the country to hack into the system. You will be stopped just as you were stopped in 2016. The propaganda by the hackers will also be met with a stronger counter propaganda that will make it difficult for you to compete.
Does Mahama know that the Burkinabe and Ivorian attacks happened way back in and around 2013? Is it now that terrorism has gotten close to Ghana? Why didn't he make these observations when he was in the helm of affairs? Boko Haram has been in Nigeria and those areas even before Jonathan of Nigeria and yet John Mahama now sees Ghana under threat due to Boko Haram? In essence he sees there is a problem only because he is no longer there? This is cheap politics. He must elevate himself beyond this foot soldier attitude.
This man is always a gentleman. Talks well. Incompetent NPP keeps blaming him for everything after 2 and half years.