Use of land guards could be avenues for terrorists to enter the country - Security policy expert

A security policy expert, Anthony Acquaye, has raised security concerns about the claims that the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces employ the services of land guards to retrieve and protect government lands.

He said that this is a matter that must be carefully looked into because it can open up the country to terrorists.

In a statement made available to GhanaWeb, Anthony Acquaye stressed that if such claims are true, and with the fast infiltration of jihadist groups within West Africa, such land guards could be identified and used as a means to destabilise the security of the country.

“These allegations, if established to be true, threaten the security and the peace of the state, resulting in so many security implications like, fuelling the proliferation of illegal small arms and light weapons in the country, and creating a fertile ground for criminals to acquire all type of firearms, including military grade firearms and also for resupply and supply network. Knowing very well most of these firearms used by these landguards are illegally acquired as that is a major challenge the country faces.

“Statistics from Ghana’s National Small Arms Commission indicates that there are more than 1.2 million unregistered firearms and light weapons in circulation in Ghana. This is apart from the millions of sophisticated weapons imported into the country by criminal gangs through unapproved channels which is a serious threat to our national security.

"Furthermore, to procure the services of landguards to reclaim and protect government land is to expose the vulnerability of the country to the terrorist groups like the jihadists terrorism groups who are already encroaching the coastal West Africa. These groups can identify the landguards groups and procure their services to help them terrorize the country,” he wrote.

Anthony Acquaye further raised concerns about the working relationships that have existed between the two leading security branches of the country.

He urged them to work together to ensure that they are not compromised in their operations in safeguarding such things as government properties.

Read his full statement below:

For immediate release

17 July, 2023



ALLEGED USE OF LAND GUARDS BY GHANA POLICE SERVICE AND ARMED FORCES TO RETRIEVE AND PROTECT GOVERNMENT LAND IS A SERIOUS SECURITY THREAT TO THE STATE AND MUST BE INVESTIGATED


The shocking revelation allegedly coming from the Chief Director of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, Prof Patrick Agbesinyale during a Parliamentary Committee meeting, that the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service use land guards to retrieve and protect their lands, is a profound allegation, that seriously exposes the weakness and inefficiency of our two key security institutions which ensure secure environment by defending the state against external aggression and internal disturbances respectively.

These allegations, if established to be true threatens the security and the peace of the state resulting in so many security implications like, fuelling the proliferation of illegally Small Arms and Light Weapons in the country and creating a fertile ground for criminals to acquire all type of firearms including miltary grade firearms and also for resupply and supply network. Knowing very well, most of these firearms use by these landguards are illegally acquired and, that a major challenge, the country face.

Statistics from Ghana’s National Small Arms Commission indicates that there are more than 1.2 million unregistered firearms and light weapons in circulation in Ghana. This is apart from the millions of sophisticated weapons imported into the country by criminal gangs through unapproved channels which is a serious threat to our national security.

Furthermore, to procure the services of landguards to reclaim and protect government land is to expose the vulnerability of the country to the terrorist groups like the jihadists terrorism group who are already encroaching the coastal west Africa, these groups can identify the landguards groups and procure their services to help them terrorize the country.

Apparently, there have been countless joint military and police internal security operations to deal with so many threatening issues in the country, to mention few; the operation GONGCONG launched in the early 1990 to maintain peace and stability in the Northern, the then Upper West and West East region where chieftaincy and land disputes resulting in violence. Again, in early 2000, operation CALMLIFE was also launched to combat armed robbers while operation HALT was to assist the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources to illegal mining.

More so, operation COWLEG was launched to flush out troublesome Fulani herdsmen whose cattle were destroying food crops in various part of the country. So with all these operations launched to deal with those threatened issues, why can't the military and police launch an operation to reclaim and protect government lands but sort to the intervention of landguards to protect government lands

If, in spite of the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offenses Act, 2019(Act, 999) which clearly criminalises the activities of landguards and our two key security institutions which have to collectively ensure law and order are rather violating the law set by the country, by procuring the landguards to protect government lands then what will be the faith of the ordinary citizens.

Sign
Anthony Acquaye (MA in Security, KAIPTC )
Center for Security Dialogue and Peace Advocacy
0556783703

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