Minister for National Security The Minister for National Security, Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah has indicated that there is a shift in how national security is conducted, with the coming into being of the National Security Policy that embraces all segments of society towards safeguarding peace and security. He observed that issues such as human security, climate change and health were key national security issues. Mr. Kan Dapaah made these observations at a security briefing by a team of security experts currently conducting Assessment of State of Ghana’s Security. The presentation of findings of a study on State and Societal Security was conducted by Principal Investigator, Dr. Ishmael Norman and Co-Principal Investigator Mr. Moses Jatuat. Present at the briefing was Deputy National Security Co-ordinator, Mr. Edward Asomani, Technical Director at the Ministry of National Security, Mr. Ben Dere and a team of experts from the ministry. Findings bothered on issues such as Personal and Community Security, Emergency and Medical Response, Security Vulnerabilities, National capability to respond to threats such as terrorism and violent crimes including armed robberies, kidnapping, rape etc. The team of experts from the Ministry of National Security led by the Hon.Minister expressed satisfaction with the project as findings will help in the Ministry’s plans and strategies in safeguarding peace and security of the country. The Minister called for close collaboration with the Institute for Intelligence and Strategic Security led by Mr. Jatuat and Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies led by Dr. Norman to conduct yearly security assessment as a way of providing the Ministry effective feedback to support in security planning and response to security threats. On his part, Principal Investigator, Dr. Ishmael Norman assured the minister of the Project’s commitment to supporting the ministry in bridging the gap between security managers and the population by providing useful perspective of citizen appreciation of security. Source: IISS Communication Bureau
IISS Press Release – Re-Designate National Intelligence Bureau As Bureau Of National Intelligence
November 15, 2021 Press release RE-DESIGNATE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE BUREAU AS BUREAU OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE The Institute for Intelligence and Strategic Security has taken keen note of news publication regarding alleged compromise of security information as a result of change in nomenclature of the erstwhile Bureau of National Investigation and accordingly calls for reversal of the old acronym, BNI. 1. News report by Day Break newspaper indicates as a result of the redesignation of the nation’s internal intelligence agency as National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) which bears same acronym with National Investment Bank (NIB), the public is yet to come to terms with the new name, and that official documents meant for the intelligence agency are mistakenly sent to the National Investment Bank. 2. IISS particularly observes that the confusion is avoidable since the redesignation of the BNI to NIB adds no value. It notes that the recently enacted Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020 (Act 1030) only sort to change the word ‘Investigation’ to ‘Intelligence’ whereby the new name will have been Bureau of National Intelligence, maintaining the old acronym BNI. 3. It is also worthy of note that, the IISS raised concerns during the consideration of the bill to repeal Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 1996 (Act 526) and replace it with Act 1030, in which the bill sort to remove the word ‘Investigation’ in the nomenclature of the Intelligence Agency. 4. For instance in the memorandum accompanying the bill, the justification for the replacement of ‘Investigation’ with ‘Intelligence’ was to portray the agency as one concerned with intelligence related activities, which in the assessment of the Institute was a misplaced priority since public perception and/or appreciation of the functions of the Bureau as an intelligence agency lie in the proper conduct and exercise of the mandate of the agency and its personnel. 5. The renowned Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of US, analogous to Bureau of National Investigation is a key agency of the US intelligence community responsible for domestic intelligence. By virtue of its name, the critical mandate of the FBI as US main internal intelligence agency has not been lost on the agency. 6. Following the September 11th terrorist attack upon the US and the subsequent setting up of a Commission of Enquiry (9/11 Commission), the Commission did not recommend name change but recommended structural and institutional reforms strengthen the FBI and the US intelligence community to adequately counter threats to US national security. 7. The Government’s initiative through the Ministry of National Security to review Act 526 which had been without amendment since 1996 was also in line with restructuring the Ghanaian intelligence community to meet demands of contemporary threats to internal and external security of Ghana. 8. The Institute however continues to state its clear position that the justification for change in name of the Bureau of National Investigation to National Intelligence Bureau is a highly misplaced priority, in that the Ghanaian public are much appreciative of the work of the Bureau as an intelligence agency and can clearly distinguish between the Bureau and Police as an investigating agency. 9. Granted that, the purpose of the new name was to portray the Bureau as an intelligence agency rather than an investigation body, the replacement of the word ‘Investigation’ with ‘Intelligence’ is sufficient and nomenclature should have remained BNI (Bureau of National Intelligence) rather than National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), a situation that has become a subject of confusion with serious implications for integrity of security information belonging to the Bureau. 10. IISS further re-iterates its earlier position that, in the face of new and emerging threats to national security, such as terrorism and violent extremism, political vigilantism, transnational organized crimes and climate change, the focus of any reforms should be investment in improvement of the intelligence capability of the nation. 11. The Bureau and other elements of the intelligence community such as the Research Department, Department of Defence Intelligence of Ghana Armed Forces, Financial Intelligence Centre, Narcotics Control Commission and the Police Intelligence Directorate should be adequately equipped with modern communication, surveillance and intelligence gathering equipment and logistics for the effective and efficient discharge of their collective constitutional mandate of protecting and defending the sovereignty and integrity of the Republic of Ghana. 12. There is also the need to strengthen recruitment systems and procedures to ensure only qualified, dedicated and loyal citizens are recruited into the Bureau and other intelligence agencies. Signed Moses Jatuat DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR INTELLIGENCE AND STRATEGIC SECURITY ACCRA-GHANA
