Chief Iman joins ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign

Ghana’s National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu has personally joined the National Security’s public education and sensitization campaign to get all residents in the country to share information on suspicious activities and persons in their local communities that could breach the country’s security.

‘See Something, Say Something’, is aimed at creating citizen awareness regarding the threat of terrorism and encouraging citizens to remain vigilant, and to collaborate with State Security and Intelligence Agencies to reduce the threat of an attack in Ghana.

The campaign has  announced a toll free number 999 accessible across the country for persons to report any and all forms of suspicious activities or persons.

Barely a week after the successful launch of the campaign, an entourage from the Ministry of National Security, led by the substantive sector Minister himself, Albert Kan-Dapaah, paid a courtesy call on Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, National Chief Imam to brief him.

Members of the entourage included Mr Edward Asomani, Deputy National Security Coordinator; Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of Defence Staff; Ambassador Peter Opata, Director-General of the Research Department; Mr Kwaku Domfeh, Director-General of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB); Mr. Edwin Ekow Blankson, Chief Fire Officer; Major General Emmanuel Kotia, National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission; and Mr Kenneth Adu-Amanfoh, Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).

The Chief Imam, after he had been briefed,  lauded the campaign and pledged his full support of both his person and his Office for it.

Sheikh Sharubutu informed the Minister and his entourage  that he would use his Office and goodwill to see it that the details and intent of the ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign gets properly disseminated to all Regional, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Imams and their respective  their congregants nationwide.

Sheikh Sharubutu noted that Ghanaians were one people regardless of the religion they practiced and that without a peaceful environment, Ghanaians could not practice their respective religions.

Mr. Kan-Dapaah expressed gratitude to the Chief Imam for his unwavering support for the support he had promised for the campaign and also for his support for  activities of the National Security Ministry over the years.

He expressed delight that the Chief Imam had promised to  support the campaign by aiding with the sensitisation of Ghanaians to remain vigilant and share information with the security agencies.

Mr. Edward Kweku Asomani, Ghana’s Deputy National Security Coordinator, told journalists in the capital ahead of the ‘See Something, Say Something’ launch that that the toll-free 999 number is to augment the robust security and intelligence architecture.

“We are here today to seek the support of all Ghanaians. We are not panicking, we are on top of the situation but we need the help of everybody in our jurisdiction. We are launching this campaign on Tuesday with the 999 number. All the Police handles – Twitter, Facebook – will be activated.

“When you ring, you don’t even have to identify yourself because we have some individuals who are worried about identifying themselves when they are giving information. If we do this very well, we will all collectively reduce the risk that we face in the country,” Edward Kweku Asomani noted.

Edward Kweku Asomani advised the public to report any suspicious character or activities to the security agencies: “We all have to be vigilant, also we know that the terrorist want access to the sea, the nature of various attacks we have also had in the sub region indicates that wherever they go, there is some form of mineral or natural resources there, particularly gold.

“So the question therefore is , if they attack towns in Burkina Faso that has gold deposits, clearly Ghana will be an interest, we are clearly therefore a target, and that is why we are here today to seek the support of Ghanaians, that you need to help the security and intelligent agencies, you need to report any suspicious activities that you see.”

“..Hence the ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign, we have the view that when Ghanaians own their personal security, when Ghanaians are aware of their environment and conscious of their environment, it will reduce the threat of an attack on our nation,” Kweku Asomani added.