Security analyst and director of academic affairs and research at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Center (KAIPTC), Dr. Emmanuel Kwesi Anning, has warned that Ghana is not far from becoming destabilized if care is not taken.
According to Dr. Anning, similar situations have given rise to war and instability in other sister African countries and Ghana is likely to experience same if the trends continue.
He pointed out that despite enjoying a remarkable period of peace over the years, the country is home to 2.3 million unregistered arms in civilian custody in addition to being the single largest importer of industrial explosives in Africa.
Dr Anning who did not sound like a prophet of doom postulated that the country should expect some considerable violence before 2020 because of the unauthorized groups.This, coupled with the behavior of the youth, he noted, is enough to explain what foundations have been laid.
Dr. Anning urged leadership of Ghana to make policies that will engage the youth such that they do not gather the courage and luxury to occupy themselves with acts of hooliganism and vandalism.
Urbanization, population growth, unemployment coupled with a very large youthful population of 40%, if not well managed with good policies can easily be infiltrated by terror groupings such as Boko Haram and ISIS, he warned.
“The implications of the deliberate exploitation and manipulation of youthful exuberance as a means to achieve political ends, in which those who have, help others to get access to power, are dismissed, overlooked, abused and treated with contempt, which transforms into anger, bitterness and the desire to want to deal with the person in power,” he said.
Dr. Anning urged community leaders, chiefs and religious leaders to play their roles well to protect the sanctity of Ghanaian society. He also charged security committees in the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to be on the alert.
The executive director of NORSAAC, Mr. Alhassan Mohammed Awal, noted that since its establishment in 2002, the agency has focused on community organisation and mobilising young people around HIV/AIDS issues and has empowered thousands of youth, women and the very vulnerable in the communities it operates in.
He added that NORSAAC has also ventured into areas less attractive to other organisations and eventually opening the way for other stakeholders to explore, discuss and consider them for further action.
Further, he mentioned that the successes achieved within the 15 years of operations are worthy of celebrating. He therefore thanked Actionaid Ghana, Oxfam and other sister organisations for the immeasurable contributions in their years of partnership.
He also thanked the chiefs of Tamale, religious leaders, heads of Senior High Schools, the security agencies and youth groups for supporting to make the 15th Anniversary lecture possible.