US alert and our preparation for the verdict

Foreign missions all over the world represent the interests of their governments and their people. Any foreign mission that does not undertake ventures that promote the interest of its governments and people must be failing in its mandate.

Recently, not only did the United States of America issue threat alerts to its citizens in some countries; it went further to evacuate its embassy staff in some of those countries.

We do recall that when the US Ambassador to Libya was killed in an attack, Washington was criticised for not doing enough to protect its citizens.

It is in this vein that we find the alert by the US Embassy in Accra to Americans in Ghana of potential isolated violence on August 29, 2013 as something normal which should not be blown out of proportion. Indeed, that is what any responsible mission is expected to do.

Since the election petition travelled the half-way mark, many stakeholders, including political party leaders, religious organisations and well-meaning Ghanaians, have been issuing appeals on the necessity for Ghanaians to maintain the peace after the Supreme Court judgement on August 29, 2013.

Some religious institutions have gone ahead to even organise fasting and prayer sessions to seek the Good Lord’s intervention to sustain the peace.

The security agencies have, for some time now, engaged in exercises to test their preparedness in the event of any eventuality. Besides those exercises, the agencies have been holding discussions with key players on the need to maintain the peace after the judgement on August 29.

We do not think that these organisations and individuals have any premonition of violence. The messages and exercises only serve as reminders and also for every Ghanaian to be on the alert.

The Daily Graphic, therefore, calls on all not to panic over the alert from the US Embassy to its citizens to be on a high level of vigilance and take steps to increase their security.

After all, calls have gone out to all Ghanaians to be on the alert for agent provocateurs and to do everything to maintain the peace.

As the Deputy Interior Minister, Mr James Agalga, observed, “We ourselves have sent warnings and cautions to the people many times not to overreact to the verdict.”

The Daily Graphic, therefore, urges Ghanaians not to panic over the US Embassy alert but endeavour to maintain the peace to enhance our democratic credentials.

What we need to do is prove to the international community that Ghana has come of age and that it can always overcome such unprecedented occasions.

Daily Graphic/Ghana