Dr. Emmanuel Kotia, National Coordinator for Ghana Boundary Commission, and a defence and security expert has intimated that there is no need for reforms in the National Security.
Speaking in an interview,;he suggested that the public should be well educated on what the National Security structure entails before making such suggestions.
“I don’t think we need to rush for any national security reforms. The only thing we need to do is that we need to understand national security. We need to be educated on the issues of national security because the act was thought through well before it was amended.
“There are so many issues in the act that if are applied,;there will be a lot of clarity so far as National Security is concerned.”
Dr. Kotia
His comments follow suggestion by some stakeholders for the National Security to be reformed following the alleged assault on Journalist Caleb Kudah for unauthorized filming on the agency’s premises.
Explaining the structure of the National Security, he stated that,;the National Coordinator and the National security had different functions and were not merged as purported by some people. He indicated that the Minister’s function is to provide political;and civilians oversight whereas the coordinators is for the operational oversight.
“The minister has an oversight over the operations of the national security. We have civilian, democratic and operational oversight. Under the civilian oversight;we need a political head that will give policy direction to the Ministry.
“If you read the Act very well,;it clearly distinguishes the functions of the national security coordinator, the chief director and the Minister. If you want to deduce the national security structure and you use the Act, you will get it.”
Dr. Kotia
National Security must be accountable
Prior to this, security expert, Adib Saani, called for accountability from the national security. He averred that the events that have taken place in the last week has put the President to shame.
“I understand from the information put out there,;it shows that he came in under false pretense which is also criminal in one way or the other. But at the same time ensure some level of accountability on the part of the national security.
“The national security for some time now I think they keep putting the President to shame;and that needs to be stopped. And the only way that this can be done is for some level of accountability to be done;when they engage in some of these operations.”
Adib Saani
Meanwhile, the National Security investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Journalist Caleb Kudah;has established that its officers’ conduct was inappropriate and contravened the standard operating procedures of the ministry.
In a press statement by the Ministry, it said:
“The secondment of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Agyeman (director of operations) at the ministry has been reversed. The officer is to report to the Chief of Defence Staff for further investigations and appropriate action.”
The National Security probe also concluded that Caleb Kudah’s conduct in pursuing his story was unlawful. The Minister however did not respond to Kudah’s allegations of abuse and “torture” while he was being interrogated.
