THE DIRECTOR LECIA
MEMBERS OF FACULTY
STUDENTS
MEMBERS OF THE PRESS
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

It gives me great pleasure to be here this afternoon at your seminar to deliver a paper on “Ensuring Peace and Security in Ghana – The Challenges and Prospects”.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ghana as a sovereign state has certain national values and vital interests which the security agencies must safeguard at all times.  As a nation, the paramount security concern of these organizations must be to maintain peace, defend the constitution and our freedom, protect vital national institutions and the territorial integrity of the country.  To achieve these, the security agencies must remain focused, well trained, adequately resourced, politically neutral and combat ready in order to respond to all the possible challenges which may confront the nation.

Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, until recently, the maintenance of peace and security had been regarded as the preserve of the military, police and other security agencies.  Such arrangement was unsatisfactory because under a democratic dispensation, one had to avoid a situation in which national security apparatus was used to maintain the ruling party in power.  Increasingly, civil society groups are showing interest in security matters, and security has acquired a much broader definition.  Most citizens desire to live in peace and security, and demand to be involved in the processes that will ensure their security.

Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, peace in whichever society one finds himself or herself, is the bedrock to which development and general wellbeing of the citizen are anchored.  It must therefore be protected by all citizens of goodwill to ensure that the very existence of the society is preserved, and its vital institutions protected.

Ghana, unlike many of the states in the sub-region, and on the continent, has enjoyed relative peace for many years.  There has been the occasional local conflict, but as a country, Ghana has been relatively peaceful.  Ladies and Gentlemen, it is this peaceful environment which has earned the country the accolade, “Oasis of peace in the sub-region”, enabled Ghana to develop at a steady pace in recent years, and has enhanced the prestige of the country in the sub-region, Africa and the wider world.  The peaceful environment has also led to increase in investor confidence and hosting of numerous international conferences in Accra.  Peace and Stability in Ghana have led to increased investor confidence, thus attracting investments in the mining, financial, energy, agricultural and commercial sectors of the economy.  In partnership with the Barclays Bank, Ghana has established the first off-shore banking services in the ECOWAS sub-region to be able to attract as much of the global trade as possible.  Mr Chairman, Ghana recently issued Euro-bond on the London Stock Market to raise USD750 Million.  Because of increased investor confidence, this bond was over-subscribed by more than USD3 Billion.  The best example of this peaceful environment occurred when Mrs Laura Bush chose Ghana as her base when attending the inauguration of Mrs Sirleaf Johnson, the Liberian President.  Ghana’s enhanced prestige in Africa and the world is evidenced by the overwhelming support for our President when he was elected Chairman of ECOWAS and AU;  and the numerous state honour and state visits which he has been called upon to honour.  This peaceful environment has also enabled Ghana to become a leading peacekeeping nation with UN and AU, helping to keep the peace in Lebanon, DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia and elsewhere.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in Ghana the maintenance of peace is the responsibility of all patriotic citizens, but seven state organisations have been entrusted with special responsibility of ensuring peace and stability – these are:

1.    Ghana Police Service
2.    Ghana Armed Forces
3.    Ministry of National Security
4.    Customs Excise and Preventive Service
5.    Ghana Immigration Service
6.    The Bureau of National Investigations
7.    The Ghana Prisons Service


These organisations collaborate closely to ensure that there is peace in the society.  Mr Chairman, the roles played by these security agencies are appreciated by the majority of our people.  But let me once again discuss the vital role played by the civil population in maintenance of peace.  Ladies and Gentlemen, effective and durable peace and security can only be maintained when the citizens respect and accept the authority of the government.  To achieve this level of cooperation between the government and the people, certain factors must be in place:-

1.    There must be reduction of extreme poverty, access to employment, health education and shelter – what can be provided in such situations would be commensurate with the resources available to the state.

2.    There should be serious attempt at wealth distribution so as to avoid huge gaps between the rich and the poor.

3.    There must be serious attempt to ensure good governance.  In this respect good governance means good government.  Good governance must have the following attributes:-

a.    It must be participatory.
b.    It must be accountable.
c.    It must be consensus-oriented.
d.    It must be effective and efficient.
e.    It must be equitable and inclusive.
f.    It must be compliant with the rule of law.

Ladies and Gentlemen, even though the factors discussed above are administered by non-security organisations, positive outcomes are essential for peace – hence the peaceful states in Scandinavia.  It is also true that any serious dislocation immediately constitutes a threat to peace and security – example abounds in Africa and elsewhere.  Again, Mr Chairman, you will recall that Ghana was the first to submit voluntarily to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in a bid to have her institutions of governance assessed in order to improve upon them.  The government’s record of good governance has earned her support from the development partners.  Government is committed to continuing good governance in order to sustain law and order, and peace in the country.

Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, let me now briefly turn our attention to the conflict and instability on our continent.  I will like to quote Dr Greg Mills, the National Director of South Africa Institute of International Affairs, “Africa’s wars have their origin in a complex compendium of social, leadership, resource, personality, class, ideological, colonial, post colonial, ethnic, territorial, religious and cold war divisions”. – it continues – “The end result of this is that in many cases, the inheritance of an already weak state has been undermined, or has collapsed as a result of a vicious cycle originating in a shortage of skills, poor management, the abuse of leadership, and even through war itself.

Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, this brief quotation encapsulates virtually all the challenges to peace in Ghana.  In spite of the comprehensive nature of the challenges in the quotation, some areas of potential threat to Ghana have to be discussed:-

1.    The coming elections – in a few weeks time, the country will be organising its fifth Presidential and Parliamentary elections – in the 4th Republic.  In our part of the world, elections do not only create tension – which should be expected, but can easily lead to conflict if not managed properly.  The government accepts the responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the country – at all times, including the period of the elections, and it will not shirk this responsibility.  It is also the duty of government to ensure that it collaborates with the Electoral Commission, all political parties, the citizens of Ghana, interested NGO’s, election observers, other state holders and development partners to ensure that the coming elections are free, fair and transparent.  The government will at all time place the interest of Ghana and her people above all partisan considerations to ensure free and fair elections.  The government pledges to respect the results of the elections as the sovereign Will of the Ghanaian people freely expressed through the ballot box, and accept these results regardless of which party is victorious.  But any person or group of persons who attempt to undermine the peace during this period for their parochial end, will be made to face the full rigours of the law.

2.    The drug menace is another threat to peace in this country; the government has declared war on this threat.  With the support of EU and US – the security agencies, with Narcotics Control Board as the lead agency, have chalked some remarkable successes in the campaign.

3.    The oil find – Ladies and Gentlemen, the discovery of oil in Ghanaian waters has its own security implications – criminal activities like illegal bunkering and stealing of oil; environmental pollution, accidents at sea, hijacking, fire on ships and oil rigs, problems with fishermen, territorial disputes with local chiefs and their people; border disputes with neighbouring countries – like Nigeria/Cameroon in the Bakassi Peninsula etc.

4.    Problems with Fulani Herdsmen

5.    Gallamsey groups – especially young men from some countries in the sub-region.  These people can be trained as combatants in the event of any conflict.

6.    Lawless ECOWAS citizens – major headache for the security agencies.  Some usually have greater expertise in crime than our own people.

7.    Ex-combatants from wars in other countries now resident in Ghana.  These people when unemployed can easily turn to armed robbery

8.    High levels of criminality in the country resulting from youth employment, foreign influences and uncontrolled movements across our borders.

Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, in spite of these challenges the prospects for peace in the country in the medium to long term, and during the period of the elections are good.  The security agencies have the capacity to create a safe and secure environment during the period under consideration.  In this respect, the Police Service is being expanded and resourced significantly to enable it maintain law and order.  The Ghana Immigration Service has been equipped and assigned with special responsibility for border security.  The Military has been given adequate resources not only to enable it discharge its mandate of protecting the nation but also undertaking peacekeeping exercises in the sub-region, on the continent and the wider world.  There has been marked improvement in the conditions of service of the security services, and morale in these agencies is reasonable high.  Ghanaians treasure the current peaceful environment and would strive to ensure that peace is not disturbed by a few misguided individuals.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I am of the opinion that Ghana will overcome all the challenges and emerge a stronger and more prosperous nation.  Thank you for your attention.