President charges MMDCEs to take control of security in their areas

Tamale, May 30, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills has charged Chief Executives of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDCEs) to be proactive and take full control of security in their areas and at the same time be firm and fair when dealing with security matters. "When it comes to peace and security matters let the people know that it is not negotiable. You can never achieve security if you are not firm and you should also ensure that there is no bias or partiality", President Mills said.

The President was addressing an orientation workshop for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Security Committees from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, in Tamale on Saturday.

The workshop, which was organised by the National Security Council, treated participants to topics such as: "The better Ghana agenda at the district level-expectations, the role and focus of DISEC/MUSEC/METROSEC in the better Ghana agenda", Leadership at the district level and the roles of the DCE/MCE and the district assembly in the youth in agriculture programmme".

The President cautioned the MMDCEs against using the security committees to prosecute any personal agenda other than the plan of "a better Ghana," saying "If you are doing the right things to promote peace and the better Ghana agenda then you need not to be afraid because you will have the full support of the government". He also asked the Chief Executives not to over-relay on the District Assemblies Common Fund for their development projects but to adopt other innovative ways of generating internal revenue to supplement government's efforts.

President Mills also asked the assemblies to win the confidence of the youth and create employment avenues for them so that they do not use their youthful exuberance to engage in conflicts. Mr. Moses Bukari Magbengba, Northern Regional Minister, said it was regrettable that the intractable nature of conflicts in the Northern, Upper West and Uppers East Regions (the three Northern Regions) had given cause for people to doubt the capability and sincerity of the political leaders in curbing the canker. He called for the effective collaboration and sharing of information between the security committees of the three regions to nib incipient conflicts in the bud. Mr. Magbengba appealed for a similar sharing of information between the regions to curb the activities of Fulani herdsmen who have being engaged in several criminal activities on the highways across the regions. The Regional Minister urged the media to be circumspect and restraint in reporting on conflict situations, since they were at the very core of people's emotions. "I urge you to put the well-being of the people above your parochial political and economic interest since you have a stake in the development of Northern Ghana and the country as a whole", Mr. Magbengba cautioned the media. 29 May 10