The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has urged the Ministry of the Interior and its agencies to prioritise public education, build public trust and invest in human resource development to strengthen Ghana’s internal security architecture.
Addressing the leadership and staff of the Ministry of the Interior during a working visit on Monday, July 13, the Vice President said the effectiveness of the country’s security institutions depends not only on legislation and enforcement but also on citizens’ confidence in the agencies responsible for protecting them.
“As members of the Ministry of the Interior, you hold our lives. You ensure we are safe. Without safety, there isn’t much we can do,” she told staff.
She commended the ministry and its agencies for their dedication to safeguarding lives, maintaining public order and supporting national development, describing security as the foundation upon which every aspect of the country’s progress rests.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang stressed that public education must accompany every law, policy and reform if government expects citizens to understand and comply with them.
“In terms of law enforcement and the rule of law, it should begin with public education. We all need to understand why we need to do things the way we should, the sanctions that go with not doing them, and more importantly, the benefits,” she said.
The Vice President noted that Parliament had passed several important security-related bills, while others were still under consideration. However, she said their success would depend largely on sustained public engagement.
“Whatever we do, we are doing it in the interest of all of us, especially those who are not in the boardrooms or meetings and may not even share the conclusions we reach. That is why public education becomes critical to the success of every bill and everything that we do,” she added.
The Vice President also expressed delight at the growing number of young women serving within the ministry and called for deliberate efforts to nurture and promote them into leadership positions.
“I was particularly happy to notice the presence of young women. We need to grow them, support them, retain them and allow them to rise as high as they can go,” she said.
She congratulated the ministry on the progress it had made in promoting women and encouraged management to continue creating opportunities for their professional growth.
While acknowledging government’s efforts to improve logistics for the security agencies, Professor Opoku-Agyemang urged the ministry to place equal emphasis on maintaining equipment and vehicles.
She called for greater investment in technicians, saying they should be involved from the procurement stage to ensure they fully understand the equipment they are expected to maintain.
“I don’t believe that we don’t have a maintenance culture. We can build one. We need to train our technicians, equip them and involve them from the beginning so that we don’t spend scarce resources replacing equipment that could have been maintained,” she said.
According to her, developing local maintenance capacity would help government save resources and improve the longevity of investments in security infrastructure.
The Vice President identified public trust as one of the most important ingredients in effective policing and national security.
She urged officers of the ministry and its agencies to remain professional, approachable and transparent in their interactions with the public.
“The public must have faith in us. They must trust us enough to collaborate with us because they believe that, in the end, what we are doing is for their own safety,” she said.
She noted that public perception matters even when it may not reflect objective reality, stressing that security personnel should explain the reasons behind their actions and avoid intimidating or exploiting citizens.
“We must put ourselves out there for people to know that we exist for their benefit,” she added.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang described security as a prerequisite for national development, noting that economic growth, investment and other government initiatives can only thrive in a peaceful and secure environment.
Although laws play an important role in regulating society, she observed that legislation alone cannot shape citizens’ behaviour.
“We can legislate many things, but we cannot legislate morality. That is why public education is so important,” she said, urging Ghanaians to demonstrate the same discipline and respect for the law at home as they do when they travel abroad.
The Vice President assured the ministry of government’s continued support as it works to strengthen Ghana’s internal security system.
“We are here. We will support you, and we ask that you also continue supporting government as we work together to realise the vision of the President and advance the development of our country,” she said.
She thanked leadership and staff of the ministry for their commitment to public service and encouraged them to continue working diligently to keep Ghana safe.
