President of Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies, Dr. Ishmael Norman has recommended that the government increase its ability of espionage on its population due to the threats of terrorism.
He said the government must also be extra careful and vigilant in monitoring especially the markets in the northern part of Ghana.
Some unknown armed men stormed the Atuba Market in the Binduri District of the Upper East Region on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. The men wielding weapons fired into the air and burnt goods of visiting market women from Bawku, reports say.
A similar raid was reported at the Binnaba market in Zebilla in the Bawku West District barely 24 hours after Tuesday’s incident. The Upper East Regional Police Command has confirmed the two incidents.
The National Security Ministry has launched a citizen awareness campaign dubbed ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign as part of efforts to prevent terror attack.
The initiative is a national campaign that raises public awareness of the indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime.
Reacting to this, Dr Norman said “It is a good idea to have a ‘See Something, Say Something’ risk communication strategy assuming that the terrorists are already in the country and may be preparing themselves for a big blow out.
“But when it comes to the tactical approaches the terrorists used in places like Niger, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso, as in they coming in and quickly getting out, then ‘See Something and Say Something’ may not be adequate.”
Dr Norman added that, it is a very difficult situation for any government since some terrorists may not do anything to draw attention to themselves.
The problem with the logistical handling of the ‘see something, say something’ report is that if the information start flooding in to the call center 999, it will be difficult to use manpower to analyse the data that the public will be supplying
“We are a bit weak in terms of technology in sieving out the information that we should be paying attention to. The whole approach is dicey but we should give the national security the benefit of doubt” he said
“Government should preposition military, immigration and police officers to basically monitor; inspect Identity Cards when they suspect that somebody does not fit well into the ecosystem.
By Samuel Afriyie Owusu|3news.com|Ghana