"Sub-regional politics must not threaten Ghana's peace"

The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday urged government to ensure that the political processes of other West African states do not pose a threat to Ghana’s cohesion and national security.
They contended that the intrusion of Nigerian politics on the Ghanaian society held serious implications for the country’s sovereignty and integrity, insisting that “Nigerian politics should be played out in Nigeria” because politics was a local affair.
The side was addressing what it termed the “actions and inactions” of government on the foreign affairs front at a press conference in Parliament in Accra.
Mr Isaac Osei, Member of Parliament for Subin and the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, said Nigeria’s election which had been postponed for six weeks, held implications for Ghana considering the goings-on on the political landscape of that country, and the extremism and violence that had characterized their electoral process.
“For Ghana, I believe that our authorities understand the real and political risk, and are working out contingency plans,” he said.
Mr Osei urged regional leaders, particularly President John Mahama, who is the current Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, to encourage Nigeria’s political leaders to ensure that that country’s democratic process carries through its March elections, without compromising the peace and security of the sub-region.
He said already in Nigeria, apart from the threat posed by extremist Islamist group, Boko Haram, in the North East, there have been sporadic incidents of violence, leading to the loss of lives.
Mr Osei said the recent emergence of Nigerian political party billboards in Ghana, though an incentive to advertising concerns, had been seen by many as an imposition of Nigeria’s local politics in Ghana.
He said, such acts though not illegal, should be discontinued, because of their security implications, saying, “we need to draw a balance between national security and business interest.”
The Minority also urged Ghana’s electoral authorities to learn from what was going on in the sub-region, to ensure that the electoral process culminating in the December 2016 elections would be free, fair and credible.