President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured of the government’s commitment to strengthening the country’s northern borders against terrorist attacks and violent extremism.
The President said the government could not be complacent and take for granted the relatively loose borders in the northern part of the country that could be exploited by terrorist groups.
“We need all of us to understand that the best way of making sure that our country continues to be at peace while the government gets on to resolve the challenges of development and poverty, which is government’s main concern.”
In an interview on Radio Upper West on Monday at the start of his working visit to the Upper West Region, President Akufo-Addo stated that the government was taking the necessary measures to secure the country’s borders.
“We created three forward operating bases in the Upper West Region alone, in Jirapa, Hamile and Tumu. There is a strong possibility that Gwolu and Wechiau, at some stage, will also be brought on board,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo said the “See Something, Say Something” campaign, which had caught the imagination of people was imperative as “you can’t possibly deal with security threats, whether from terrorists or saboteurs if you don’t have the cooperation of the civilian population.”
He said the people responsible for the outrageous attacks come from within the community and so if members of the community are sufficiently sensitised about their presence and the dangers they pose, “that becomes the best form of intelligence, and it, therefore, becomes the conduit for you to be able to act decisively.”
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD