Defence vacancy leaves Ghana exposed: Ranking member sounds alarm after pirates attack

The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee has issued a stark warning over the nation’s security preparedness, accusing the government of creating a dangerous vulnerability by failing to appoint a substantive Minister for Defence.

Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has linked the prolonged leadership gap at the Ministry to a series of recent security breaches, most notably an armed pirate attack on fishermen off the coast of Senya Beraku in the Central Region.

The harrowing incident, which occurred at sea, saw armed men fire warning shots, hold local fishermen at gunpoint, and steal seven outboard motors along with generators and other valuables. The attack left the victims stranded and has sent shockwaves through the coastal community.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, Rev. Ntim Fordjour described the situation as a direct consequence of institutional paralysis at the highest level of defence administration.

“A Reckless and Dangerous” Stance
“The crisis in the defence sector is alarming,” the Assin South MP stated. “For the past few months, we have urged the President to appoint a substantive Minister of Defence. The failure to do so has made our country vulnerable to external threats.”

Rev. Ntim Fordjour argued that in the absence of a political head, the sector lacks the strategic oversight and coordination required to respond to evolving threats. He warned that Ghana’s inaction is sending a dangerous signal to hostile actors within the sub-region and beyond.

“It is reckless and dangerous that the President has taken no action in this regard. The message we are sending to external actors is that we do not take our defence seriously,” he added.

Mounting Threats in the Sub-Region
The MP cited the Senya Beraku pirate attack as a symptom of a broader pattern of growing insecurity. He also pointed to the recent killing of eight Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso as further evidence of the complex and cross-border dangers Ghanaian citizens currently face.

According to Rev. Ntim Fordjour, these incidents underscore an urgent need for decisive political leadership to coordinate responses, particularly given the rising instability in parts of West Africa and growing concerns over maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

He maintains that until a substantive minister is in place to provide policy direction and bolster confidence in the state’s response capabilities, Ghana’s preparedness to confront both maritime and land-based threats will remain critically undermined.