Hours after operatives of National Security Council pulled down the controversial Legon toll booth being erected by the authorities of the University of Ghana, many people have started raising issues with the manner in which state security acted, and others questioning the mandate of the National Security in relation to this exercise.

 Chief among the talking heads was Egbert Faibille Jr. who was also part of Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo’s legal team in the abortive move to overturn the last election results.

Speaking in an interview, Faibille questioned why national security demolished the toll booth and sought to create the impression that it was an illegality.

I couldn't help but to shrug my shoulders in utter disbelief when I heard Egbert Faible's spiteful piece of commentary on the issue.

Let me try and see if l understand this; ls Egbert Faible questioning the powers of the National Security Council? Is University of Ghana not an institution of state? Was it not established by an act of parliament?

Does the University of Ghana have any right to impede access to public highway? And Egbert thinks this is not a national Security matter?

Do these guys really understand the concept of human security and its national security implications? 

The sheer idiocy of some of these social commentators can really be nauseating at times.

For the information of Egbert Faible and those who care to know, the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act 1996, Act 526 mandates the state security to carry out such an exercise.

The law among other things states that, the agency shall collect, analyze, retain and disseminate as appropriate information and intelligence respecting activities that may constitute threats to the security of the State and the government of Ghana;

(b) safeguard the economic well-being of the State against threats posed by the acts or omissions of persons or organizations both inside and outside the country;

(c) protect the State against threats of espionage, sabotage, terrorism, hijacking, piracy, drug trafficking and similar offences;

(d) protect the State against the activities of persons, both nationals and non-nationals, intended to overthrow the government of Ghana or undermine the constitutional order through illegal political, military, industrial or other means or through any other unconstitutional method which virtually empowered the agency to intervene in any situation that could lead to the breakdown of law and order or create disaffection for both government and the majority of the citizens.

By that law, national security had the power to pull down the toll booth but not prevent the collection of the toll charges.

The decision to remove the toll booth was based on the fact that its location was too close to the main road and was interfering with vehicular traffic going to and fro Madina and beyond.

The argument has been that the proximity of the tollbooth to a major highway is a public nuisance, and l don’t understand why any right thinking member of the public should break bones over this simple matter.  Should we wait for a major disaster to occur on that stretch of the road before we realized that it is a national security matter?

I don’t support the traffic nuisance being created on that stretch of the road in the name of tolls. I believe that every action of any institution situated on Ghana’s territorial lands must be done in the interest of public safety and must inure to the good of the general public.

National Security carried out this action in the interest of the public and road users who had to bear with the unnecessary vehicular traffic due to the erection of the booths. We must not tolerate lawlessness in our effort to build a better Ghana.

It is completely wrong and unacceptable for the University to erect the tollbooth right in front of such a major busy road like the Madina-Tetteh Quashie highway that leads traffic into Accra.

It is horrible to see vehicular traffic build up in the mornings and evenings because of the booth. Many road accidents have claimed the lives of students and pedestrians.

Instead of condemnation, we should all congratulate the National Security for such a bold action. I’ll urge Col. Rtd Gbevlo-Lartey, the National Security Co-ordinator to ignore the baseless criticisms of his actions. I do not think he owes an explanation to anybody for his actions. He has acted in the interest of Public Policy.