The approval was part of efforts aimed at safeguarding the security of the nation, the Minister of National Security, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, disclosed.

He said the funds would also cover other activities of regional security councils (REGSECs) and district security committees (DISECs) which were responsible for considering and taking appropriate measures to safeguard the internal and external security at the regional and the district levels.

At a sensitisation workshop on the National Security Strategy Document for Regional Ministers in Accra yesterday, Mr Kan-Dapaah said in the past, there was no provision of funds for the REGSECs and the DISECs, “but now the government has made provision and the funds will be handled by the Ministry of National Security”.

He said the approval by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo followed a proposal by the Ministry of National Security.

“The Ministry of National Security aims to continue to strengthen the various REGSECs, taking cognisant of the fact that a stronger REGSEC enhances our chances, as a country, to deal with security threats at the local level,” he said.

Strategic document

On the National Security Document, he said its development, the first of its kind in the country, represented the boldest expression of the Ministry of National Security in adopting innovative ways to deal with the ever-evolving security threats that confronted the nation in contemporary times.

He said the document was informed by the need to consolidate Ghana’s fragmented security policies into a single, integrated and comprehensive security policy framework capable of safeguarding not only the territorial integrity of the country but also meeting the human security needs of the citizenry.

Sensitisation

Mr Kan-Dapaah pointed out that regional ministers formed an integral part of Ghana’s security architecture, as evidenced by sections Five to Seven of the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020 (Act 1030), which clearly outline the establishment and functions of REGSECs.

Section Six of the act vests power of the Chairperson of the REGSEC in the regional minister and outlines the responsibilities of the council, which include the provision of early warning signals to the central government and the implementation of proactive measures to mitigate security threats in the various regions.

He said over the years, there had not been effective collaboration between regional ministers and the National Security, which had rendered the REGSECs less efficient in the execution of their mandates.

“Through the implementation of the National Security Strategy, which is hinged on two key pillars — the whole-of-government and the whole-of-society approaches — it is anticipated that this challenge will be resolved.

“The whole-of-government approach, for instance, entreats all components of the government machinery to work in unison towards safeguarding the security of the State,” the National Security Minister said.

Appreciation

The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mr Daniel Kwaku Botwe, said the ministry had zoned the various regions into four and would soon roll out an intensive sensitisation programme on the National Security Strategy Document for regional ministers, district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives.

The Dean of Regional Ministers, Mr Archibald Yao Letsa, who is also the Volta Regional Minister, commended the President for approving the funds for REGSEC activities.

“With adequate resources, we can do much more. After this sensitisation, we will be well-equipped to handle security threats in our various regions,” he said.