The National Peace Council has expressed concern over the resurgence of military coups in West Africa, warning that reckless public comments about the possibility of a coup in Ghana could undermine the country’s peace and security.
Speaking at a management and staff retreat of the National Peace Council, its Chairman, Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, urged Ghanaians to remain measured in their public statements and actions in the wake of recent unconstitutional changes of government in the sub-region.
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He said the Council was particularly worried about comments suggesting the possibility of a coup in Ghana, stressing that such pronouncements had the potential to create unnecessary fear and threaten national stability.
“We wish they will not ever happen again in our country and people must be measured in their commentaries and actions, especially around this time when public comments of a possible coup in Ghana have the tendency of affecting peace and security,” he said.
Dr Adu-Gyamfi recalled Ghana’s experiences under previous military regimes since 1966, noting that unconstitutional governments had left lasting effects on the country’s development.
He urged politicians, the media and the public to avoid inflammatory remarks and instead work together to preserve peace, national unity and social cohesion.
The Peace Council Chairman also cautioned that periods of unrest in neighbouring countries could create opportunities for individuals or groups to exploit existing grievances and foment instability.
He appealed to media organisations to ensure that their platforms were not used to incite violence or promote actions capable of disturbing public order.
The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, also addressed the gathering, highlighting both internal and external threats to Ghana’s security.
He identified ethnic and chieftaincy disputes in parts of northern Ghana, intra-religious conflicts and unemployment among young people as factors that could increase vulnerability to radicalisation and violent extremism.
Mr Dery further warned that insecurity across the West African sub-region and the Sahel, including terrorism, violent extremism, arms trafficking, drug smuggling and other transnational crimes, continued to pose significant risks to Ghana.
He said the growing wave of terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger had heightened concerns that extremist groups could seek to recruit vulnerable youth in Ghana.
“All threats of terrorist violence over the last four years have provoked predictions and fears that Ghana could become the next frontier for radicalisation and terrorist attacks in the West African sub-region,” he said.
The National Peace Council called on all stakeholders to remain vigilant and continue promoting dialogue, tolerance and peaceful coexistence to safeguard Ghana’s democratic stability.
