In answering the question of why Ghana seems to be largely unaffected by the terrorism that hits our neighbours, DW’s Martina Schwikowski writes,
“Good governance and an active civil society spare Ghana from the militia attacks that the neighbouring countries are faced with. According to experts, democratic processes are well in place in the West African country… the risk of terrorist attacks in Ghana can be classified as almost insignificant”.
Terrorism is a major threat to any country’s peace, security, and economic stability. Instability has been used by terrorists and violent extremists, such as Da’esh, Al-Qaida, and its affiliates, to expand their operations and step up their attacks.
Nigeria is dealing with some security issues. The protracted struggle in the Lake Chad basin with the terrorist organization Boko Haram and a splinter group, the Islamic State, in the West African state has resulted in the internal displacement of about 2.2 million Nigerians.
In northwest Nigeria, a food crisis is developing due to banditry and inter-communal warfare. Amid this unrest, there has also been increased worry about terrorist organizations expanding their presence and recruiting in northwest Nigeria.
There are growing worries about the threat that terrorist organizations with Sahelian bases pose to the coastal West African states. An Al-Qaida-affiliated Group attacked an army checkpoint in the Togo town of Kpekankandi near the Burkina Faso border on May 11, killing eight Togolese soldiers and injuring 13 others. It was the terrorist militants’ first deadly assault in Togo.
Ghana’s response
As stated at the beginning of the article, there is trust in the unity of Ghana and our nation’s armed forces to be aware of this situation and provide any additional information and protection that may be required.
The country has increased safeguards such as random vehicle screenings, extra checkpoints, patrols, and others to strengthen and support security efforts. This is a small price that citizens pay for the continued peace we enjoy.
The Ghanaian Times cited Mr. Edward K. Asomani, the deputy national security coordinator, who provided the facts about the situation in our sub-region.He went to elaborate on what they may be after, which included the capture of mineral resources such as gold.
Further in Ghana’s response, the nation has a launched a “See something, say something” campaign in the hopes that Ghanaians citizens will take on a vigilant and inclusive role that will help fight any wave of terrorism wherever it may appear.
Anyone, whether citizen, resident, tourist or otherwise, is greatly encouraged and entreated to notify the correct authorities should they see or hear any activity that may be an act of terrorism or linked to one (in some way). The public has been instructed to dial 999 toll free in order to report any activity they may suspect. There is also an option that maintains anonymity in the event the caller may not want to be identified.
Reports of suspected acts of terrorism can also be made to Chiefs, opinion leaders, District Chief Executives (DCEs) and assembly members, as well as to community members and presiding members.
Investor confidence
Ghana has long been regarded as an example of social, economic, and religious stability in Africa, both within the continent and by the West. The country has made some moves toward financial recovery following COVID-19 by investing in Ghanaian small and medium-scale enterprise (SME) areas with funding from UNDP Ghana.
42 entrepreneurs get up to $500,000 in start-up money as part of the initiative to help them scale up their core companies. In Ghana, the UNDP writes:
“As part of efforts to support Ghana’s economic recovery drive, UNDP has rolled out four integrated interventions to help Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) recover from the pandemic and thrive to boost job creation. The interventions, focusing on women and youth-led MSMEs, are building on UNDP‘s investment in young innovators that included a seed funding of about $500,000 to 42 young innovators to scale up their businesses.
The support includes market intelligence on investment opportunities, services and gaps related to MSMEs support in Ghana; a prototype of integrated ecosystem support for businesses; strategic communications capacity development and a digital gateway to share and access information in real-time“ (2021)
The COVID pandemic has affected cities worldwide, including Accra, which is the hub of commercial and investor prospects in Ghana. In acknowledgement of this, the UN has promised to assist Ghana in developing a COVID-19 recovery plan for Accra.
To ensure that no one is left behind, Mr. Charles Abani, the UN Resident Coordinator for Ghana, reaffirmed the UN’s support for Ghana’s economic recovery plans and strategies through the socio-economic response and recovery programme (SERRP) and the SDG financing initiative.
The GIPC (Ghana Investment Promotion Centre) set the pace for a $3 billion FDI investment for the year 2022 in the domain of foreign direct investment (FDI).
According to Statista “Ghana is one of the leading economies in the African region. In 2020, it was the eighth largest economy in terms of its GDP, which reached 67.34 billion U.S. dollars that year. The nation’s GDP per capita was estimated at nearly 2.3 thousand U.S. dollars in 2021, and is expected to reach over 2.7 thousand U.S. dollars by 2025.“ (Sasu, 2021)
Conclusion
Fortunately, as a country, we are cooperating with the appropriate authorities to make sure that despite our continued caution and vigilance, business as usual continues, as do all of the factors that support and propel an economy forward.
Fortunately, as a country, we cooperate with the appropriate authorities to ensure that despite our continued caution and vigilance, business as usual continues, as do all of the factors that support and propel an economy forward.
Like much of the rest of the globe, Ghana has experienced several obstacles. Today, many feel the pressure of a global economic downturn in their local pockets. But Ghana is and has been tenacious.
Ghana is presently the seat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, which contributes to the fact of our centrality and strength within the African continent, a pioneer of the Pan-African Payments and Settlements Systems (PAPSS) and continues to maintain progressive and robust relations with the European Union, the United Nations, China, et cetera. The nation continues to be secure, friendly to foreign investors, and as always, is ready for business!
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Have a blessed week!
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References
Schwikowski, M. (2021, July 20) DW. Terrorism: Why is Ghana less affected than its neighbors?. https://www.dw.com/en/terror-attacks-why-is-ghana-less-affected-than-its-neighbors/a-58567339
al-Qaeda | History, Meaning, Terrorist Attacks, & Facts. (2022, April 20). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/al-Qaeda
Ghana: Terrorism Attack in Ghana Looms, Deputy National Security Coordinator Warns, Outlines Measures to Combat It. (2022, May 23). allAfrica.Com. https://allafrica.com/stories/202205230719.html
How Ghana is dealing with terrorists threat after 10 soldiers were killed in Togo. (2022, May 23). Graphic Online. https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/how-ghana-is-dealing-with-terrorists-threat-after-10-soldiers-were-killed-in-togo.html
Ekuful, C. Ghanaian Times. https://www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/terrorism-attack-in-ghana-looms-deputy-national-security-coordinator-warns-outlines-measures-to-combat-it/
R. (2021, December 17). COVID-19 economic recovery: building back stronger with women and youth-led innovations. UNDP. https://www.gh.undp.org/content/ghana/en/home/presscenter/articles/2021/covid-19-economic-recovery–building-back-stronger-with-women-an.html
Segbefia, S. (2022, March 8). DUBAI EXPO: GIPC sets tone for US$3bn in FDIs. The Business & Financial Times. https://thebftonline.com/2022/03/08/dubai-expo-gipc-sets-tone-for-us3bn-in-fdis/
Sasu, D. D. (2021, September 16). Key economic indicators of Ghana- statistics & facts. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/7812/key-economic-indicators-of-ghana/#topicHeader__wrapper
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