Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has called on Ghanaians to support the nation’s security forces for sustained success.
He said the security agencies continue to hold the nation’s defences amidst heightened threats of insurgency and anticipates support and confidence of the people as they sacrifice to protect the country.
The Minister made the call when he opened a stakeholder’s forum in Accra for media practitioners in the southern parts of the country on the draft National Security Strategy.
“There shouldn’t be any doubt of the competencies of our military. When you go outside, we are told that they are one of the best. If ever as a country, we needed our soldiers, it is today. If ever we needed our policemen, it is today. Colleagues, we don’t help ourselves when you start insulting or attacking these people,” Mr Kan-Dapaah said.
He stated that the media, as an independent body, needs to mark its work with strong circumspection and collaborate on providing the expected cover to win public trust.
“The media by definition is an independent institution. There is a limit to the role of other accountability institutions but for the media, it possesses the independence that enables it to hold the government to account. It is a very important duty the media plays, which is why we get concerned.”
“That is why it is important that our media men and women don’t play with the security and stability of the country. Also, it is important that the media is able to do away with sensational stories that have very serious security implications, and not because it will help to sell newspapers and get viewership,” he said.
The meeting was organized by the National Security Ministry and the Ministry of Information to access inputs on the implementation of the National Security Strategy (NSS) from the media as a major stakeholder.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister for Information, said extensive education and sensitization on the content of the strategy was key, and so was the media engagement, as it helped practitioners identify their roles in its implementation.
The NSS document was launched on June 7, 2021, by President Akufo-Addo as part of measures to coordinate a national response effort to protect and safeguard the country from threats, risks, challenges to its security and stability from both the domestic and international environments.
Source: GNA
