News or allegations about tired dogs of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) being unable to perform their role at a particular time at the Kotoka International Airport made interesting reading when the narrative made it to the front page of the DAILY GUIDE yesterday.
The newspaper sourced the stuff from the disclosure of the Assin North constituency MP Kennedy Ohene Agyepong who has been excessively loud in recent times about security discrepancies. His adrenalin rose so high at the time he was making the revelations. There is something amiss in the way certain aspects of security management are being undertaken at some critical locations, the airport being a clear example going by the MP’s narrations.
We are not in a position to apportion blame – that is not the objective of this discourse. Ours is to raise concern and proffer advice so anomalies can be addressed for the general good of the country especially since the challenge is attributable to the NDC baggage we inherited as a country.
The NDC did not find anything unusual about employing so many people and fixing these at strategic places; something they did in the twilight of their regime. It is these elements who are still at post and facilitating the work of their political benefactors.
The role of the nation’s security is critical and should not be taken lightly. The challenges those in charge of this department are confronted with are not beyond our knowledge.
Under the circumstances, we call on the relevant authorities to ensure that those who show signs of disloyalty are dealt with according to the law. As a government obsessed with the rule of law and with no room for breaching same, we can understand the difficulties. There are always alternatives to rules and these the authorities should unearth and apply for the good of our security. Transfer of disloyal staff to other less critical locations is one of the options.
The case of a certain Lebanese as mentioned by the MP refers. If what we have heard so far regarding this businessman and the impunity with which he is able to breach security standards at the airport is real, then it is not only unacceptable but insulting to our sovereignty.
Only an investigation can establish the authenticity of the claims. We are prone to believing the story though and would insist, like others, it is not marginalized. If there are matters which can be ignored for lack of importance, this is certainly not one of them.
A general auditing of the quality of persons manning strategic locations such as the airport and harbors is critical given the fact that there are many whose loyalty, as pointed out in an earlier paragraph, we cannot vouch for.
We have been alerted. What should be done now is action on the part of the relevant authorities. We trust they would act and now.