A Security Analyst and Foreign Policy Expert has urged the national security apparatus and duty bearers in Ghana to take early warning systems seriously, ahead of the 2024 Election, to prevent escalation of potential violence.
Mr Adib Saani said it was imperative to ensure regular collection and analysis of data on conflicts via systematic monitoring and reporting of conflict indicators.
In the world where security challenges continued to evolve and diversify, the role of investigators and intelligence officers is becoming increasingly crucial to ensure peace and harmony.Therefore, it is important to equip investigative and intelligence officers with theoretical knowledge and practical skills to perform their tasks effectively," he said.
He said "we find ourserves in a volatile sub-region that has had its share of instability in recent years. Therefore, the existence of peace, stability and good governance is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development."
Mr Saani, also a Certified Specialist in Conflict Analysis and Mediation, made the call at the 16th graduation ceremony of the Doyen Institute of Intelligence and Investigations in Accra, on Saturday.
He mentioned security threats in the sub-region and the Sahel, including terrorism, violent extremism, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, as well as drug trafficking and piracy that threatened peace and harmony.
The African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism says in the second quarter of 2023, West Africa recorded 57 per cent of total attacks and deaths.
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The Sahel region alone accounted for 44 per cent of attacks and 46 per cent of deaths with 344 incidents of attacks and 1,849 deaths.
Violence extremism has led to 1.5 million internally displaced people in Nigeria with over 600,000 in the Sahel region.
Mr Saani, thus, urged graduands of the Institute to use their expertise to gather and analyse security threats and advise decision-makers on preventive measures.
"Your tireless dedication to gathering accurate and timely intelligence is a linchpin in fostering stability, security and peace across the African Continent," he said.
Mr George Dosoo-Doyen, the Executive- Director, Doyen Institute of Intelligence and Investigations, said the students went through rigorous training in investigations,criminal justice, criminal profiling, military intelligence, forensics, security management and other specialised security programmes to prepare them adequately for their careers.
The Institute, he said stood as a beacon of excellence in the realm of security education and entreated the graduands to work collaboratively to combat crime and other fraudulent activities in the country and beyond.
Mr Maxwell Caleb Nortey-Newman, a Certified Fraud Examiner and Forensic Professional, speaking on the topic: 'Professionalism - A Tool for Survival,' said security and intelligence officers must build a legacy of integrity and adhere strictly to the code of ethics of the profession.
