Ghanaian Times: Face security challenges head on!

There is no doubt that the public is becoming anxious about the security situation in the country and desire that the security agencies fix it immediately.

In the past few days it appears the security situation is getting worse with increased robberies, and attacks on people by thugs and hoodlums across the country.

What is worse is that the political season has brought with it threats to personal security and conflicts between political opponents.

These developments have led individuals, civil society, chiefs and faith-based organisations to voice their concerns about the security situation in the country.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is the latest chief to add his voice by speaking the minds of many when he asked the Ghana Police Service to take steps to resolve some of the security challenges facing the country to restore public confidence in the service.

In a meeting at the Manhyia palace last week, the Asantehene reminded the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong Boanuh, of the recent violent crimes, including highway robberies, and made reference to the killing of the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman, stressing that some of those acts which remained unresolved had the tendency to reduce public confidence in the police service.

The erosion of public confidence in the security agencies is said to have fuelled the desire for individuals to clamour for guns to protect themselves, which has, in part, led to proliferation of guns in the country.

Honestly, this is not the first time that the country is facing security challenges but the situation today is alarming because of the high profile deaths as well as armed attacks on ordinary citizens.

But if citizens, of high and low status, are complaining about the security situation, then something must be wrong and needed to be fixed.

The Ghanaian Times is worried that the situation is worsening particularly at the time we are preparing for major election that we all want to be peaceful.

It is also worrisome that the citizenry is becoming anxious and confidence in the security is waning to the extent that they are arming themselves for protection.

These are not good signs because proliferation of arms, if not controlled, can spiral out of control and present its own security challenges.

It is our humble plea that the security apparatus would fully appreciate the current malaise which is becoming rooted and nightmare for majority of the people.

It is not lost on us that the police are handicapped in terms of human and logistical resources and while we sympathise with them and call on the government to increase support for them, we also urge the police to up their game in order not to lose public confidence.

Indeed, public confidence in the police and other security agencies is very important, something which they must jealously guard continually in the performance of their duties.

And the only way to do that is to improve the security situation in the country.