National Security Issues Must Not Be Turned Into Political Football

It is most unfortunate that the security situation in the country is being turned into political football by irresponsible politicians - from across the spectrum.

Yet, that is the last thing that should happen in an aspirational nation desperate to attract new investment from both local and foreign investors - to boost economic growth and create jobs for the younger generations.

Clearly, it is now obvious to most discerning and independent-minded Ghanaians that the nation is literally fighting today's criminals with yesterday's crime-fighting methods and tools that are no longer fit for purpose.

In the 21st century smart-high-tech age, it ought to be possible, for example, for the security agencies to leverage satellite platforms such as Urthecast and Skybox Imaging, to monitor the whole country - including keeping an eye on what is left of our nation's natural heritage.

Leveraging inexpensive mini-satellite platforms such as Urthercast and Skybox Imaging, will enable Ghana's security agencies to remotely identify even individual galamseyers working in remote and isolated areas, for example.

Ditto remotely  identify illegal loggers and illegal sand-winners, across the whole landmass of Ghana.

And, best of all,   it won't cost a fortune to subscribe to the services provided by satellite platforms such as Urthecast and Skybox Imaging.

Above all, all the political parties and their leaderships owe it to the ordinary people of this country, to be responsible in their utterances, when addressing national security issues - at all material times.

Our homeland Ghana neither faces a South Sudan-type insecurity situation nor that of Somalia. No one in this country should forget that.

The challenges in that area of our national life are not insurmountable - and no politician in this country must try to give the world the false impression that the opposite is the case: just to score political points.

Ghana is not a banana republic. Under no circumstances must politicians engage in Kweku-Anase-politricks when addressing national security issues. It is abominable and unpardonable for them to do so.

It creates needless fear in the population and discourages new investment in the national economy to modernise plant and equipment -  empowerment requirements badly needed to increase productivity.

What politicians ought  to do instead, as mature and responsible leaders, is to offer suggestions as to how best the security situation in the country can be improved, with the limited resources available to the government of the day.

And, although we all agree that their work is hampered by a lack of resources, the heads of all the security agencies need to be a tad more proactive in order to get the needed results from the security agencies they lead.

They need to constantly  tour the country  rallying  and exhorting the hardworking men and women they lead to be loyal to the Republic of Ghana - which they have sworn to serve and defend:  and whose citizens they are paid relatively well to protect.

In an age when terror networks  and organised criminal syndicates have  global footprints, the men and women of all  the security agencies  in Ghana must eschew corruption - a crucial requirement in successfully fighting organised crime and terrorism today.

That is because corruption amongst personnel of the security angencies is a weakness  that can be easily and swiftly exploited by organised criminals and terrorist groups to harm our nation and its people.

Instead of being disloyal to Mother Ghana by being corrupt, the gallant men and women of the security agencies must focus instead on protecting Ghanaians and the nation at large - and do so in creative fashion: with the Iimited resources available to them.

And those elected to govern our nation must also wake up from their deep slumber.The question there is:  Is the most important task that faces every government in this world not to ensure the security of the state and the safety of its citizens?

Our elected leaders must be alive to their responsibilities - and secure our nation and all its people from those who actively seek to harm  us.

Finally, those shortsighted and narrow-minded members of our nation's political class who are guilty of it, must stop toying with the security of our nation and the long-term destiny of  its hardworking people.

Security matters in this country must never be turned into political football. Enough is enough. Full stop. Haaba. Hmm, Oman Ghana - eyeasem o: asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa.