Former President Jerry John Rawlings has called for collaboration between the military and civilians to counter what he describes as the very real threat of terrorism in West Africa. The warning follows his plea for caution, made on 29 June after the deployment of troops from the Ghana Armed Forces in the Oti and Volta Regions to provide security during the period of voter registration.
Rawlings argued that people living in towns along border have been hit hard by coronavirus-enforced restrictions and do not need military intimidation at this moment.
His statement on terror, issued today (2 July), singles out recent terrorist incidents in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, arguing that neighbouring countries such as Ghana and Togo are not immune to such assaults.
Vigilance
“Our country faces a real threat of terrorism with the heightened attacks in neighbouring countries,” he wrote.
“As Ghanaians we can no longer procrastinate on the matter of terrorism and assume we are insulated from the reality. The time has come for heightened vigilance by every Ghanaian as we enter a vulnerable period leading up to the December presidential and parliamentary elections.
“Inhabitants of especially the border communities need to remain extra vigilant and
observant if we are to avoid any such terrorist attacks on our territory,” the statement said.
“Our country faces a real threat of terrorism with the heightened attacks in neighbouring countries,” he wrote.
The former president’s comments followed the government deployment of military personnel to the Oti and Volta Regions, ostensibly to prevent foreigners living in Togo from crossing over the border to take part in the Electoral Commission’s voter registration exercise.
Military influx
Meanwhile, Rawlings’s opposition National Democratic Congress has slammed the government for the move.
Rawlings argues that a heavy military presence is likely to make the plight of Ghanaians living along the country’s borders worse.
A statement from the former president’s office said the government must demonstrate “fairness and justice” to all groups of people in the run-up to the voter registration exercise.
He observed that the deployment of military personnel in border towns is generating animosity among residents and creating suspicion of sorts.
“The presence of the military and other security agencies in some parts of the Volta and Oti Regions is generating animosity, especially amongst innocent citizens whose basic way of life is being disrupted,” part of the statement said.
“The deployment along the borders at peacetime, especially at this particular point in time, has created so much suspicion and will call for a lot of intelligent flexibility and diligence,” said Kobina Andoh, head of communications in the office of the former president.
The presence of the military and other security agencies in some parts of the Volta and Oti Regions is generating animosity especially amongst innocent citizens whose basic way of life is being disrupted… pic.twitter.com/m21VEMVoBi
— Jerry John Rawlings (@officeofJJR) June 29, 2020
Rawlings added that the livelihoods of border dwellers depend solely on activities along the border. He therefore urged the state to “demonstrate a sense of fairness and justice to all individuals and groups of people whilst maintaining the integrity and the sanctity of the process”.
Allegations of tribalism
Earlier, the NDC MP for Ketu South, Fifi Kwetey, accused the government of tribalism against Ewes and other people in the Volta Region.
He alleged that the NPP government views Ewes not as Ghanaians, but as foreigners from Togo.
“This siege of the Volta Region dates back to NPP’s perennial hatred towards any group of people that they perceive as standing between them and their insatiable desire for absolute political power,” the MP said.
However, Kwetey’s allegations were countered swiftly by the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, at a press conference on Monday.
The minister said that, contrary to claims that the government is targeting the Volta Region, military personnel have been deployed just as extensively at other regions with borders.
“I believe that if they are watching this press conference, they will revise their notes and they should be bowing their heads in shame, because they lied to the people of Ghana,” Nitiwul said. “As we have all been told now, the numbers in the Volta Region are some of the lowest of the deployment.”
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