Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for National Security, says the vision of the National Security strategy is to maintain Ghana as a peaceful, tolerant, socially cohesive, secure, and prosperous constitutional democracy.
He said the strategy would consolidate all the policy initiatives on National Security Policy Framework with the goal to mobilise and coordinate the efforts of all sectors of the society, especially Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to deal with security threats in the country.
Mr Kan-Dapaah said this in a statement issued by the Public Affsirs Directorate of GAF after a seminar held for Officers and Men of GAF by the National Security Ministry on the National Security Strategy document.
The event, spearheaded by the Ministry, was to enable stakeholders in the security sphere deal effectively with existing and emerging threats to the country.
The document was launched in June 2021 by the President and Commander-in-Chief of GAF, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The Minister said armed robbery, chieftaincy disputes, piracy, terrorist activities outside the country; threats of secession by certain groups and unemployment were on top of the list of security challenges bedeviling the country.
He, therefore, urged GAF to put up its outmost best to deal with the challenges.
The Minister reiterated Government’s commitment to retooling GAF to deal with the challenges and promote security in the country.
Mr Dominic Nitiwul, Minister for Defence, said the Security Strategy, when implemented would also optimise the effectiveness of the security and intelligence sector by improving the current system and structures.
He said the security sectors of Africa continued to face several facets of domestic challenges, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and gradual recession.
The Minister said the country was faced with two major external issues, the Jihadist Movement and terrorist activities in the Northern part of Ghana and piracy at the Gulf of Guinea.
Mr Nitiwul said there was a pressing need to develop effective National Security Strategies, adding that combating those threats required real-time and national security policy with clear directions to resolve them.
He was optimistic that the workshop would support Officers of GAF in the effective management of security, especially at the borders across the country by way of curbing criminal and rebellious activities.
Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), said GAF remained the key national asset within the National Security landscape, which was well positioned to play significant roles in achieving the security and defence objectives of the strategy.
“The GAF is an important pillar for promoting regional, continental and global interest using security and defence diplomacy,” he said and assured that GAF was poised to carry out its mandate effectively as outlined in the National Security Strategy.
