‘Let us deepen intelligence sharing to prevent extremist threats’ - Bukari

Dr. Kaderi Noagah Bukari, Research Fellow at the Department of Peace Studies of the University of Cape Coast, has called on security agencies in the country to deepen collaboration with neighbouring countries.

This, he said would ward off emerging threats of extremist intrusion.

The collaboration, he added, must among others, provide high-level security, intelligence, and accurate information sharing on a timely basis to avert such threats to maintain the country’s prestige as an oasis of peace in West Africa.

“The security agencies must intensify security border patrols, while providing the requisite weapons, equipment, tools, and modern technology that will facilitate border management and increase intelligence sharing among appropriate security agencies in the country and beyond,” Dr. Bukari advised.

He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that with the emerging extremists' incursion in Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, and Benin, it behooved the security agencies to be innovative and proactive to protect the country from terrorist attacks.

It was also the way to sustain national peace, cohesion, and tranquillity which are key ingredients to sustaining democratic gains, attract and retain investments to accelerate socio-economic development.

Outlining issues that could attract extremists’ incursions in Ghana, Dr Bukari described the growing unrest manifested in youth unemployment in the country as a national security threat.

He said the inability of governments to employ the teeming youth coupled with the non-existence of start-up funds for entrepreneurship projects by youth had dipped their hopes, making them susceptible to extremists’ baits.

He called for efforts to respond to youth unemployment to ward off such extremists’ attractions.

This, he said was also the surest way to avert rippling crimes such as armed robbery, human trafficking, drug trafficking, prostitution, and cybercrime, among others.

Dr. Bukari also mentioned "capitalistic mindset" as another attractive decoy, noting that the pride of individualism, materialism, and the “get rich quick” syndrome was driving some people in society to do anything including killing others to make money.

He said there was the need for stakeholders to help the Government to address the problem of materialism and the “get rich quick” syndrome which was fast eroding the moral fabric of the Ghanaian society.

He mentioned major state installations and institutions such as the Parliament House, ministries, departments, agencies, churches, mosques, and schools among others as prime targets for the extremists' incursions and must be protected as such.

For that matter, he reminded everyone to be security-conscious in their daily activities, and to provide information on suspicious characters to the security agencies.

He also reminded the media of their mandate to support national cohesion and integration by intensifying public education on violent extremist activities and to educate the public on being security conscious.