Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has called on the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to adopt an intelligence-led approach to security management as Ghana begins implementing the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026 (Act 1168).

He said the new approach must focus on preventing security threats before they escalate, rather than responding to incidents after they occur.

Speaking at a workshop in Kumasi on the implementation of Act 1168, Mr Muntaka said the effectiveness of the new law would depend largely on how well it was implemented at the regional and local levels.

He stressed the need for stronger coordination among security agencies, local assemblies and community leaders, noting that no single institution had all the information needed to effectively manage the country’s changing security environment.

“Let us move from reaction to prevention, from fragmented efforts to coordinated action and from information sharing to intelligence-led security management. National security cannot be secured from Accra alone but must be built in regions, districts and communities,” he stated.

Mr Muntaka said MMDCEs were particularly important to the country’s security architecture because of their close engagement with communities.

He explained that their regular interactions with chiefs, religious leaders, youth groups, traders, farmers and civil society organisations placed them in a strong position to identify emerging tensions and developments within their communities.

He therefore stressed the importance of ensuring that information gathered at the local level is shared promptly with the appropriate security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

The Minister also called on REGSEC to pay greater attention to emerging patterns instead of treating security incidents as isolated occurrences.

He said where criminal activities spread from one municipality to another, or where a local dispute had the potential to affect neighbouring districts, such developments must be identified early and escalated promptly.

Mr Muntaka said modern security threats required early detection and coordinated action, rather than waiting for incidents to occur before responding.

He commended the Ashanti Regional Minister and REGSEC for their commitment to maintaining peace in the region, while stressing the need for continued collaboration among the various actors responsible for security at the regional and local levels.