Addo-Kufuor more qualified to be National Security Minister than Kan-Dapaah – Bonah

A security analyst Mr. Adams Bonah has said that Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah failed as National security Minister in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration.

To that end, he said, his re-appointment for the same position is not good.

Mr. Bonah told TV3’s Johnnie Hughes on the New Day Programme that he wondered the kind of security briefings Mr. Dapaah gave to the president after the country witnessed a surge in crime rate.

“I thought the appointment committee would have done a better job on him. I am not in support of his reappointment,” he said.

When asked who is more qualified for that position apart from Mr. Dapaah, he said “There are several people. Under former president Kufuor there were very brilliant national security ministers.

“And under former president Kufuor, I am sure crime rate dropped and so the point is that the security architecture in this country would be better if we have a fit for purpose national security minister.

“They have General Amidu, they have Addo Kufuor, Collins Owusu Amankwah, Seth Acheampong, and Henry Quartey. These are all people who are there.”

Mr. Kan Dapaah appeared before the Appointment Committee of Parliament vetting on Wednesday, February 10.

He said deliberate plans went into the refocusing of the erstwhile Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to meet its mandate.

“We thought they were not doing enough in terms of intelligence,” he admitted, observing that on a number of occasions the Bureau was carrying out operations the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service should take.

To that end, he said personnel were brought in to boost the analytical operations of the investigative body aside from its intelligence operations.

He was answering a question posed by Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Constituency Ursula Owusu-Ekuful on what informed the change of name from BNI to National Investigations Bureau (NIB).

“Today, we don’t have the NIB only collecting intelligence, we also have in place a well, good trained team who analyse [intelligence],” he said, adding that the situation culminated in the change of name as well.

Albert Kan-Dapaah also justified the incessant deployment of the military as personal bodyguards for some statesmen, claiming it has been a strategy for some time now.

“Anywhere you have seen soldiers having to protect a particular individual, it is because, in our assessment and assessment of security experts, there is the need for such support to be given to that particular person.

“This is a decision normally taken by the security agencies. For instance, when we have a report that a particular individual has a problem and people are after his life, and we think there is a danger, we come in to provide support.”