Do not ignore terrorist attack warning - Kwesi Pratt tells government

A security alert has been released by the UK and Canadian governments warning Ghana against an impending terrorist attack.

The alert on Thursday, August 3, appeared on their website claiming "terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Ghana. While there have been no recent attacks in Ghana, terrorist groups in West Africa have demonstrated their capability and intent by mounting attacks in 2015 and 2016 in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mali, targeting beach resorts, hotels, cafes and restaurants visited by foreigners”.

Following the security threat alarm, the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah has sought to allay the fears of Ghanaians.

According to him, both the UK and Canadian Embassies in Ghana have denied issuing any new travel or terror alerts warning their citizens against travelling to Ghana over the claims of terrorist attacks.

“This is only a travel advice that the western countries have been known to issue to their citizens. The one that is on the website today that has caused all this panic is not something that was planted yesterday or this week, certainly not this month or this year; it’s been there for years. The same advice word for word, so I don’t really know what has changed.

"Ghana has not experienced any terrorist attack in the past but there have been terrorist attacks in some neighbouring countries, and, therefore, it is possible that there can be an attack in Ghana’. This is the advice and I don’t really find anything alarming in that sort of advice, especially when it is not a new one but has been there for a number of years. So, I don’t see why we should be panicking about this," he said.

Also commenting on the issue, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper Kwesi Pratt has asked the National Security Minister and security agencies in the country not to trivialize the security alert.

To him, Ghana shouldn't ignore the warning given by the UK and Canadian governments but rather strengthen the country's security.

Though he commended the National Security Minister for allaying the fears of Ghanaians, he, however, would have him and the security services to put measures in place to avert any possible threat.

He also advised Ghanaians, particularly hotel and restaurant owners, to be vigilant, watch out for persons whose actions and behaviours are suspicious and report to the appropriate security services.

He charged the government to take steps to assure the safety of Ghanaians.