Jatikay Centre welcomes National Security reshuffle, flags Sahel terror spillover as urgent priority

The Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building welcomed the recent reorganisation of the National Security Council Secretariat, including the appointment of retired Major General William Ayamdo as Deputy National Security Coordinator in charge of Operations, in a statement dated Tuesday, August 11. The Centre's Executive Director, Adib Saani, stated that the restructuring "presents an important opportunity to strengthen intelligence coordination, operational effectiveness, accountability and the preventive orientation of Ghana's national security architecture."

The Centre identified the growing risk of violent extremism spilling over from the Sahel region as a pressing issue. It also flagged chieftaincy, land, and communal disputes as major internal security risks, noting hundreds of unresolved disputes, some classified as high-risk. Organised crime, including illicit financial flows, money laundering, illegal gold trading (galamsey-linked financial crime), and cross-border criminal networks, was another area the Centre urged the Secretariat to prioritise.