National Security Policy Ready By December

The Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has told Parliament that the Akufo-Addo government is developing a comprehensive National Security Policy that will set the stage for a progressive and secure security governance system in the country.

The National Security Minister, who was answering a question in Parliament yesterday from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga, said a lot of consultations had taken place in view of this public documented National Security Policy which would be ready by the end of this year.He said the policy document when introduced would be the first of its kind in the history of the country.

The minister said the ministry has plans to have such a documented national security policy in place and, therefore, set up a technical working group comprising representatives of government ministries, departments and agencies, the academia and known security experts in October 2017 to initiate the process of drafting the National Security Policy.

“Mr. Speaker, it has not been the practice in this country to have a documented National Security Policy that details a strategic framework and describes how the country provides security for the state and its citizens,” he said stressing that the Akufo-Addo government saw it imperative in accordance with international norm to have such a documented four-year national security policy in place which would be reviewed every year depending on the security exigencies and threats that would be confronting the nation within the year under review.

He said even though Parliament would be given the opportunity to make a final input into the draft policy, it would not be put before Parliament as a bill to be passed into an Act of Parliament.He said it is the leadership of Parliament and members of the parliamentary select committee on Defence and Interior who would be required to make those critical inputs into the policy at the final stage.

“Mr. Speaker, there have been several consultations with the various ministries and state departments over the period and they have now come out with a draft detailed National Security Policy document and that the draft has gone through various

validation and review processes with selected security and governance experts as well as stakeholder consultations with various interest groups and Civil Society Organisations,” he said, stressing that at end of it all, the policy would be implemented by every government in power.