The Minority Caucus on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament has admonished President John Dramani Mahama to take urgent action in addressing the U.S. travel advisory that has placed Ghana under Level 2 risk.
The United States government has advised its citizens to take caution due to rising crime and weak law enforcement.
The advisory cited violent crimes, underreporting of serious offences like sexual assault, and general lawlessness as reasons behind the alert.
The advisory also flagged the presence of civil unrest and organised crime, classifying Ghana under risk indicators “C” (Crime), “U” (Unrest), and “O” (Other).
Reacting to this, the minority asked the president to take immediate steps in dealing with the matter.
A statement issued by the Caucus said, “This development is a serious indictment of Ghana’s longstanding reputation as one of Africa’s safest, most stable, and well-governed nations.”
According to the minority, post-election violence involving known political personalities who have not been punished has also damaged our reputation as a country.
In their view, the downgrade is not accidental but rather a direct result of the government’s failure to ensure security, uphold the rule of law, and clamp down on impunity.
The minority further raised concerns over what it describes as the “scandalous silence and inaction” on major security scandals, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and illicit financial flows, claiming these issues
have stained Ghana’s global image.
On the Bawku crisis, the minority posited that the killings, indiscriminate shootings, and destruction of property in the region have also earned Bawku a Level 3 risk classification by the U.S., just one level below crisis-hit nations like Mali and Burkina Faso.
It has therefore advised the government to work with the security agencies, diplomatic partners, and civil society to reverse the trend and safeguard Ghana’s long-established reputation as a safe and democratic country.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
