Beware Of ‘Security Experts’ In Political Gown

Recent reports that a bomb-manufacturing gang, which had been operating in the heart of Accra for the past fifteen months, was finally busted by the security agencies, must be a worrying news to many Ghanaians, because it had been quite decades since a plot of this magnitude was reported.

In fact, since the inception of the Fourth Republican Constitution in 1992, one cannot recollect how many times such news had hit the headlines.

At the same time, the assurance by the Minister of Information of government’s readiness to safeguard national security and public safety must be relieving.

It is relieving, not only because the prime suspects had been arrested, but also because the weapons and explosive devices intended for the violent takeover were retrieved; and the factory closed.

Ordinarily, one would have expected that the totality of Ghanaians would pat the security agencies on the back. Unfortunately, however, some self-styled security experts are saying the weapons seized were not enough to destabilize the country.

In fact, one of them, a retired colonel who claims to have had over two decades experience in Counter Terrorism and Defense Intelligence, told the media “the weapons would not even overthrow a village chief”.

THE NEW PUBLISHER finds it unfortunate that the so-called expert could discredit his reputation, if any, with this assertion.

We think that, no expert worth his salt, after having been informed of how the suspects repeatedly contacted serving military personnel, and talked them into hatching and executing plots to obtain weapons to take over key installations in the country, would still come to such a conclusion.

In our view, even a stark illiterate, after knowing that the suspects had procured essential chemicals and items for the manufacture of explosives, would not have come to this deduction.

What about the formation of a group (Take Action Ghana-TAG), under the guise of mobilising the youth for nation-building and providing shelter to the needy, which Defense Intelligence sources say, was merely a launching pad to destabilize the political authority in Ghana?

Again, for what purpose did the suspects contract a worker at the Base Workshop in Burma Camp to supply 10 AK 47 riffles, and for which an advance payment of GH¢7,000 was made?

Thirdly, who goes to a serene beach, in the company of a soldier, in the dead of night, to test fire manufactured weapons, if not with a criminal intention?

THE NEW PUBLISHER cannot believe that the very ‘experts’, who in March this year, jumped over roof when a video popped up about the training of some youth at the Osu Castle, now try to downplay a major arrest as this. Even though no weapons were spotted in the videos, they raised alarm that the country was heading towards a precipice.

The paper will like to remind those ‘security experts in political clothing’ that, during the Kulungugu bombing plot, which was aimed at eliminating the country’s first president, all that the plotters needed was a BOUQUET OF FLOWERS.

Finally, we call on the media to refrain from showering the title ‘SECURITY EXPERT’ on people, simply because they are loud on radio.

At best they may be analysts, not experts.