The Director of the National Counter-Terrorism Fusion Centre, Major General Timothy Ba-Taa-Banah, has called for a stronger and more deliberate partnership between Ghana’s security institutions and the media to protect the country’s peace and stability amid increasingly complex and evolving security threats. He said Ghana’s enviable reputation as a beacon of peace in West Africa [...]
The Director of the National Counter-Terrorism Fusion Centre, Major General Timothy Ba-Taa-Banah, has called for a stronger and more deliberate partnership between Ghana’s security institutions and the media to protect the country’s peace and stability amid increasingly complex and evolving security threats.
He said Ghana’s enviable reputation as a beacon of peace in West Africa could not be taken for granted, warning that preserving the country’s stability required vigilance, shared responsibility and the active participation of every sector of society.
Major General Ba-Taa-Banah made the call in Sunyani during a strategic engagement between the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and journalists from the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions.
The engagement, held under the theme “Broadcasting Peace: Responsible Journalism for National Development,” formed part of a broader national outreach programme aimed at strengthening collaboration, information-sharing and mutual understanding between Ghana’s security establishment and the media.
Delivering the keynote address, Major General Ba-Taa-Banah said journalists occupy a unique position in Ghana’s security architecture because of their proximity to communities and their ability to detect concerns long before they reach the attention of national institutions.
He noted that journalists often operate at the grassroots level, giving them direct access to public fears, grievances, disputes and emerging tensions within communities.
He described this access as a potentially powerful early-warning mechanism, stressing that timely information from journalists could enable security authorities and other relevant institutions to intervene before local disagreements or grievances escalate into threats to national peace and security.
“Journalists are often closer to the grassroots than national institutions. You hear the concerns, fears and grievances of the people, and these can serve as important early-warning indicators,” he said.
He therefore urged journalists to report sensitive issues with accuracy, responsibility and restraint while ensuring that credible information capable of preventing threats to peace is channelled to trusted and responsible institutions for appropriate action.
According to him, responsible journalism should not merely describe crises after they occur but must also contribute to preventing them by drawing attention to warning signs and unresolved grievances.
Major General Ba-Taa-Banah stressed that Ghana could not afford complacency despite its longstanding reputation for political stability and peaceful coexistence.
He said the country was not immune to the security challenges confronting nations across West Africa and other parts of the world, particularly as modern threats continue to evolve in nature, sophistication and scope.
He explained that contemporary security challenges could no longer be addressed by security agencies alone, making collaboration among state institutions, traditional authorities, civil society organisations, the media, the private sector and ordinary citizens increasingly imperative.
“The peace we enjoy in Ghana cannot be taken for granted. It is something we must all consciously protect,” Major General Ba-Taa-Banah cautioned.
He called for a whole-of-society approach to national security, insisting that every segment of Ghanaian society has a role to play in identifying, preventing and responding to threats to the country’s peace.
He particularly encouraged traditional authorities, formal and public institutions, the informal sector, religious bodies, civil society organisations and community leaders to remain actively engaged in efforts to preserve national cohesion.
Major General Ba-Taa-Banah said the effectiveness of Ghana’s security architecture would ultimately depend on the extent to which ordinary citizens and institutions understood, supported and participated in efforts to protect national peace.
According to him, security agencies could only succeed when they secured the “buy-in” and active cooperation of every segment of society.
He appealed to journalists to provide timely, accurate and credible information that could assist security agencies in identifying potential threats and taking preventive action.
He further cautioned media practitioners to avoid sensational reporting that could inflame tensions, deepen divisions or inadvertently provide opportunities for individuals or groups seeking to destabilise communities.
For her part, the Second-in-Command (2IC) for Strategic Communication at the National Security Council Secretariat, Bernice Hiadzi-Hetor, underscored the enormous influence of journalism in shaping public understanding of events and influencing how society responds to tensions and crises.
She said the power to shape public narratives came with a corresponding responsibility for journalists to ensure that their reportage promoted peace, understanding and confidence in public institutions.
“Journalism has the power to shape how society understands events, responds to tensions and builds confidence in institutions,” she said.
Bernice Hiadzi-Hetor stressed that national security and peace could not be regarded as the sole responsibility of security institutions.
She said journalists were equally important actors in Ghana’s peace and security architecture because of their ability to influence public discourse, shape perceptions, promote dialogue and strengthen social cohesion.
She described constructive engagement between the media and security institutions as essential to building trust, improving mutual understanding and ensuring that security concerns are communicated to the public in a responsible and constructive manner.
The Sunyani engagement forms part of efforts by the National Security Council Secretariat to deepen strategic communication and strengthen relationships with journalists across Ghana.
The initiative seeks to improve information-sharing, promote responsible reporting on security-related matters and establish stronger channels of communication between security institutions and media practitioners.
The engagement also provided journalists from the three regions with an opportunity to interact with security officials on emerging threats, responsible journalism and the role of the media in protecting Ghana’s democratic and social stability.
Report by Daniel Donkor, Bono Region
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