Security expert Samuel Owusu has called on President John Dramani Mahama to limit the initial meeting aimed at reviewing Ghana’s border-security systems and strengthening efforts to prevent illicit drug trafficking to five core security officials.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on Morning Starr on Starr FM, Samuel Owusu said the President does not need to meet a large group at the initial stage, given the sensitive nature of the intelligence involved.
He proposed that the President first convene a highly classified meeting involving the National Security Intelligence Director, the Minister of the Interior, the Navy Intelligence Officer, the Director in charge of External Intelligence and the President’s Security Adviser.
According to him, these officials constitute the core intelligence team that can provide the President with the necessary information to understand the situation and determine the appropriate next steps.
Samuel Owusu argued that a lengthy list of officials for the initial meeting could undermine the process and make it difficult for the President to properly understand the key thematic areas of the investigation.
He said the selected officials should conduct their preliminary checks before meeting the President so they can provide him with a candid briefing based on the information they have gathered.
“For me, this tall list for the primary investigation or the initial meeting wasn’t supposed to be, in my respective opinion, the list is too tall for the President to meet them at the first instance. In fact, he needs to meet few people, at most five.”
He explained that the matter involves different levels of secrecy, making it necessary to carefully consider who is invited to such high-level meetings.
Samuel Owusu said the officials should first brief and advise the President on the intelligence available to them, allowing him to gain a clear understanding of the situation before deciding on further action.
He added that once the President has been properly briefed, he would have a better understanding of the nomenclature of the investigation and the steps required to unravel the matter comprehensively.
“For me, he needs to meet the core intelligent people first,” he said.
Samuel Owusu said the initial meeting should therefore remain highly classified, with other stakeholders brought in at the appropriate stage of the investigation”.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Pamela Quayson
