President and CEO of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies (ISDES), Dr Ishmael Norman has described the appointment of some popular Ghanaian Musicians and others as Anti-Terrorism Ambassadors for the ‘See Something Say Something’ campaign by the Ministry of National Security as funny and irrelevant.
Speaking in an interview with Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show on Tuesday June 7, terrorism is not a music awards which should have ambassadors.
“Terrorism is not a Music Awards. Nominating anti-terrorism ambassadors is wrong and irrelevant. Putting that funny scenario aside, I hope Honorable Kan Dapaah will not continue nominating people. It’s not the way to go, it is not Ghana Music Awards” he stated.
According Dr. Norman, terrorism is an instrumental war in which the terrorists choose which theater to operate from. The next time they strike will not probably be in a church. It will not be bandits that will attack a church because some of the attackers are break away groups that are using terrorism to amass wealth.
“Bandits will not attack a church which does not have money. They will attack institutions where they can get money so our preparedness should be multifaceted” Dr. Norman said.
He also indicated it is good that the National security Minister Kan Dapaah is in the North but if the terrorists are going to attack Ghana, it would not necessarily be in the North. It will be somewhere in the hinterland and it would be spectacular because Ghana’s coastline is porous which means the terrorists may come by sea hence the security and surveillance must be intensified.
Dr. Ishmael Norman theorizes that Ghana has probably not been attacked because of the wise decision that Ex President John Mahama took in accepting the GITMO TWO.
He further iterated that all mass casualty events have limited shop life and have limited injury counts. So even if there is going to be a terrorist attack on Ghana, we shouldn’t cower away but must go on with our activities. “Let us not be afraid, let us be prepared and get ourselves ready that it could happen anywhere” he emphasized
Dr. Norman suggests that churches should have armed security guards and maybe it has gotten to the point that the right to carry personal arms may have to be universal because if the church members have guns in the church, those attackers that masquerade as church goers will be afraid to attack them.
The security expert also warned that concentration of Ghana’s security agents should be pinned to the north where the National Security says they have identified some suspicious movement of some people because the terrorist may misdirect the attention of the security because in strategic warfare it is always a tactical to thrill the enemy.
On the level of understanding of the general public of the security situation at hand, Dr. Norman opined that the Ghanaian population is not mature enough to understand what is going on. He shares the view that the public education with the ‘See Something Say Something’ campaign is late and does not even have the funding to make it operational.
By Samuel Afriyie Owusu|3news.com|Ghana