Ghana to step up security at US installations

Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior, on Wednesday assured the United States that Ghana would step up security at US installations to ensure the safety of both workers and infrastructure.

"The responsibility of my ministry is to maintain internal security and ensure that everybody is safe", he said and added that agencies under his ministry are co-ordinating to meet this goal.

Alhaji Yakubu was interacting with Ms Nancy Powell, US Ambassador, when she called on him in Accra to officially introduce herself. Ms Powell assumed office early this month.

He said Ghana shares the sorrow and trauma the US is going through following last week's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. "We shall do all in our power to assist to find the perpetrators of the heinous crime which has resulted in the loss of many lives."

Alhaji Yakubu commended the US for its tremendous support in curbing the serial murder of women and for training Ghana's security personnel.

"We shall use the experiences gained to provide the security needed especially on all US installations''. He said the era when para-military and quasi security personnel took over the security of the country is over.

He said security agencies under his ministry are constitutionally mandated, but said most of them lack the basic resources to make them function effectively.

Alhaji Yakubu said the police, especially have been neglected for so many years and a lot of their facilities are woefully inadequate to make their work efficient.

He said the government is taking steps to provide the necessary resources to the various security agencies and as part of this effort a Police Endowment Fund would soon be launched for the public to contribute to help the police perform their duties better.

Ms Powell commended the minister for the additional security the ministry has provided at US installations after the terrorist attack in New York and Washington.

"It is very painful to lose so many lives including civil servants whose efforts have made America what it is today."

She said it is her duty to ensure the safety of all Americans in the country and called for a closer collaboration between the US and Ghana to help her achieve this objective.