The Ministry of National Security has responded to recent comments by Mahama Ayariga, the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, who questioned the rationale behind the Ministry’s monthly budget of GH¢6,000,000 to manage the ongoing Bawku conflict.
According to the ministry, the said amount is used for designing and coordinating security operations nationwide in collaboration with relevant security and intelligence agencies.
This comes after the Bawku Central MP, Ayariga alleged that the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, is given GH¢6,000,000 monthly by the Finance Ministry to manage the Bawku conflict.
This, according to him, translates into GH¢72,000,000 each quarter.
He added despite the huge sum of money allocated to the Ministry there is no evidence of work done.
However, the ministry in a statement on August 6, noted that the budget allocation is not just for the National Security Ministry.
“In line with the coordination and operational strategy for the management of the conflict, the Ministry, upon receipt of the funds, distributes same to the participating security and intelligence agencies to support their logistics and personnel involved in the operations, with the core mandate of protecting the lives and livelihoods of all citizens in the area.
“We must emphasise further that these funds are part of the general operational budget for the Ministry. The Ministry is, however, compelled to allocate these amounts to maintain peace in Bawku, when they could have been invested, instead, in enhancing Ghana’s capability to build resilience against the dire security threats such as terrorism and violent extremism spreading across the West African region.
“It is, therefore, unfortunate and mistaken for Hon. Ayariga, who, given his position as a Member of Parliament, ought to be better informed about the complexities and necessities of national security operations, to politicize same,” the ministry stated.
Such statements, according to the national security ministry, “have the potential to disinform and misinform the citizens of Bawku, reignite tensions, and endanger the lives of the personnel of state security and Intelligence agencies involved in the operations, and should, therefore, not be encouraged by well-meaning Ghanaians.”
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