President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Monday launched a National Security Strategy Blueprint to enable stakeholders in the security sphere to deal effectively with existing, new and emerging threats to the country.

The Strategy, an initiative of the President on assumption of office in 2017, is in line with nationally devised paths towards a proactive and inclusive coordinated response to internal and external security and stability challenges.

It is the product of four years of consultations with stakeholders including Parliament, the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society Organisations and security experts, spearheaded by the National Security Ministry.

At the launch of the Strategy and commissioning of a three-storey headquarters building for the National Security in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said a secured environment that guaranteed the safety of the people and territorial integrity was a prerequisite for sustainable development.

Only when safety of the people and the nation’s space was secured could the citizens live peacefully and strive to constantly improve the quality of their lives, he said.

The President said the Strategy was necessary for the existence of Ghana’s National Security architecture and that the overarching vision of the document was to maintain Ghana as an open, tolerant, socially cohesive, peace-loving, people-centred, secure, united and prosperous constitutional democracy that upheld the rule of law.

“The National Security Strategy also aims to establish Ghana as a land of opportunities, with the resolve and the capability to protect her people, her culture and her values, to spur growth, development and prosperity that inure to the well-being of her people, whilst positioning the country to play a meaningful and influential role at regional, continental and global levels,” he said.

“Further, the Strategy underlines the unique characteristics, the risk and threats confronting our nation within the context of an evolving world, and proposes innovative ways to deal with the numerous emerging security challenges.”

President Akufo-Addo said the strategy would provide a new institutional structure to confront threats through rapid, coordinated and comprehensive responses.

“It will prioritise the effective use of resources to promote effective decision-making, through an institutional system that will ensure integrated and efficient coordination in all spectrums of national security,” he said.

Once that was operationalised, the Strategy would optimise the effectiveness of the security and intelligence sector, by revamping current systems and structures, he said.

President Akufo-Addo said the implementation of the National Security Strategy would be driven systematically, transparently and accountably to ensure that all MDAs achieved their expected outcomes, which would contribute significantly to enhancing the country’s cohesion, resilience and stability.

The National Security Council would provide strategic direction for the implementation of the Strategy and the Minister of National Security would be responsible for the day-to-day coordination of activities for a successful implementation of the Plan.

The strategy is to be complemented by the new Security and Intelligence Agency ACT 1030, which makes provision for a Ministerial Security Coordinating Committee, comprising the Minister for National Security, Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Justice, and Communication and Digitization.

President Akufo-Addo said the multi-faceted nature of the strategy, which assigned different roles for the various MDAs, called for extensive sensitisation to realise its goals.

“I thus task the Minister for National Security to organise workshops for all ministers, regional security Councils, leadership and members of Parliament, members of the Judiciary, religious leaders, the National Peace Council, the National House of Chiefs, Civil Society Organisations, Youth Groups, and various educational institutions to deepen their understanding of their roles in the implementation of the Strategy,” he said.

Additionally, the President tasked the Minister of Finance to collaborate with the National Security Minister to establish a Security Fund to support the implementation of the Strategy during emergencies.

Furthermore, the various MDAs and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are to make specific budgetary provisions for the allocation of funds in the national budget for the smooth implementation of the Strategy.

“These budgetary provisions shall be made in accordance with the roles and responsibilities as assigned per the National Security Strategy,” he said.

He thus directed the Ministry of National Security to come up with revised timelines for all MDAs to develop their specific strategies, frameworks, policies and action plans for the implementation.

President Akufo-Addo said, however, that the Strategy, regardless of its potency, could not yield the desired results until successfully implemented, adding; “Our success will therefore be based on how the Strategy is implemented.”

“If we set our hearts and minds to this, and focus our energies on implementing successfully the National Security Strategy, we shall succeed in creating a more cohesive, inclusive, peaceful, progressive, prosperous, stable and united Ghana.”

On the new office building, the President said he was pleased the Ministry decided to name the edifice after the late National Security Coordinator, Joshua Kyeremeh, who died last January whilst receiving treatment for COVID-19.