Report suspicious characters to the Security Services – Minister

Madam Paulina Patience Abayage, the Upper East Regional Minister, has admonished Ghanaians to take personal security serious and report any suspicious characters to the security services for action.

“Let me take this opportunity to talk briefly on the activities of terrorism attacks at places of worship in our neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso and Niger. This indeed is a very sad thing and I wish to urge you to endeavour to control what you say in public, because we do not know what will infuriate or encourage them to attack.

“You must equally endeavour to report any suspicious person or group of people to the security agencies to deal with it.”

The Regional Minister made the admonishment in a speech read for her by Mr Fank Fuseini Adongo, the Deputy Regional Minister, during the celebration of Eid-ul-fitr in Bolgatanga.

“In recent times, terrorist attacks have engulfed some West African countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger, attacking and killing Christians especially members of the Catholic Church. A few days ago, a 55 year old Burkinabe was arrested at Jirapa in the Upper West Region with a loaded handgun in a Catholic Church during celebration of the Sunday Mass”.

This, the Regional Minister underscored, the urgent need for the security agencies to be proactive to detect and deal with potential attacks and advised members of the public to make available information that would help the security agencies to maintain the prevailing peace to enhance sustainable development.

She urged the Muslims community to make the celebration of the end of Ramadan instill God’s consciousness in them to enable them fight the forces of satan, social exclusion, intolerance and promote human dignity for socio-economic development.

She said, “a successful Ramadan will mean instilling God’s consciousness in Muslims, the love for others and promoting useful contribution to our search for national unity and integrity. These are the fundamental for our country towards peace, stability and prosperity.”

The Regional Minister noted that most of the Muslims lived in the Zongo Communities, which were faced with lots of development challenges including poor environmental and sanitation conditions.

She reiterated government’s commitment to implementing development policies to raise the standards of living of the people living in those communities.

Madam Abayage indicated that the Zongo Development Fund being initiated by the Nana Akufo-Addo led government was meant to bridge the inequality gap that existed between the Zongo communities and others.

Alhaji Yussif Adams, the Upper East Regional Chief Imam, who prayed for the leadership of the country and the development agenda of the nation as well as God’s protection and guidance against terrorist attack, admonished the congregation to eschew acts of violence that would retard the development of the nation.