He said ensuring security was not the sole responsibility of the security agencies, hence the need for all and sundry to support the security agencies by reporting suspected criminals and assisting them with their investigations.

Familiarisation visit

Mr Dery made the call when he paid a working visit to the various security agencies in Tamale in the Northern Region.

Accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr Henry Quartey, he interacted with officials and staff of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and the National Peace Council.

Maintaining peace

Addressing the personnel on separate occasions, the minister reiterated the government's commitment to retool the security services to enable them to effectively carry out their mandate of maintaining peace and security in the country.

" Our commitment is to make the security services function effectively. I have come to acknowledge your contribution towards making the region a better place to live," he stated.

Touching on managing disasters in the region, Mr Dery charged the staff of NADMO to always be on alert and take proactive action to avert disasters, stressing "I don't want you to always wait for disasters to strike before you take actions".

He advised them to always involve the security in cases where people resist attempts to relocate from dangerous environments to safer areas.

Relative peace

For his part, the Northern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Timothy Yosah Bongo, said the region was currently enjoying relative peace due to strategies put in place by the command.

He said the police response time to security issues had also improved due to the provision of logistics, adding that "the police and military relations is also very cordial.’

Mr Bonga, however, appealed for more personnel to help increase the numerical strength of the command.

Logistics

The Northern Regional Director of NADMO, Alhaji Abdallah Hindu, said the organisation had begun sensitising residents of flood prone areas to help avert the impact of disasters.

He appealed for adequate logistics, including tents, to accommodate disaster victims and vehicles to enhance the work of the organisation.