Minister Rubbishes Mills Red Alert

THE MINISTER for Interior, Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, and President Atta Mills appear to disagree on the issue of putting the national security on red alert. In his 2011 state-of-the-nation�s address to Parliament, President Mills, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, indicated that he had put the national security on red alert to deal with anybody who would disturb the nation�s peace. However, Dr. Kunbuor virtually took on President Mills, suggesting that the president�s red alert declaration was a futile one. According to him, the country�s security could not have been put on any red alert as nobody had engineered the necessary processes for such an operational order. �As far as I know, the national security has not been put on red alert because nobody has accessed the processes for the declaration of red alert,� Dr. Kunbuor contended on the floor of Parliament yesterday. The minister�s remarks shocked the minority caucus in Parliament led by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, compelling members of the group to quiz rhetorically, �So what red alert did President Mills declare?� Dr. Kunbuor was reacting to New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, Major Derek Yaw Oduro (rtd)�s statement that President Mills step down his red alert. Contributing to the on-going debate on the 2012 budget statement, Major Oduro, who is also a deputy ranking member for the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior, said the president should not put the national security on perpetual red alert as there was no any security threat to the country to such a needless and unending declaration. It would be recalled that President Mills, without mentioning names, stated during the presentation of his third state-of-the-nation�s address that his government would not sit down and allow war mongers to jeopardize the security of the state. Following the declaration, members of the opposition NPP said the president was indirectly issuing threats to their presidential candidate for 2012 general elections, Nana Akufo-Addo, who had declared the �all-die-be-die� slogan to encourage party supporters to stand up for their right and defend the ballot at the polls without yielding to any intimidation from any quarter. Consequently, Nana Akufo-Addo criticized President Mills for publicly stating that he (Mills) had put the security services on red alert over his �all-die-be-die� comments. While addressing a news conference in Ho to officially respond to President Mills�s red alert declaration, Nana Addo entreated the head of state to rather call foot-soldiers of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to order and focus on creating a better Ghana. President Mills, Nana Akufo-Addo stated, ought to first rein in the then marauding supporters of his party, curb the growing lawlessness from members of his own party, and free the country�s security agencies to perform their constitutional duties without fear or favour and to protect all citizens from aggression and violence. �The slogan all-die-be-die came as a result of our party activists being reduced to second class citizens and becoming victims of discrimination, intimidation, aggression without protection from the state. Our supporters know fully well what is meant by the all die be die. They know it is not a call to violence, it is an exhortation,� he added. �At the heart of the matter is about people, citizens of Ghana being brutalized and ignored and left with their own defensive devices by the system. What should be the response of a responsible government? To warn them of a security red alert, or to address the scars and wounds of their grievances?� he noted. �We have never said any group is superior to another, we are only asking for all Ghanaians to be treated equally,� Nana Akufo-Addo stated. The NPP flagbearer said to ensure a peaceful election next year, justice should be seen to have been done. He assured Ghanaians of his commitment to a peaceful election and asked President Mills to do same.