By Grace Zigah
In a rare and candid admission, Ghana’s National Security Coordinator, COP Osman Abdul-Razak, has publicly condemned the misconduct of some operatives under his authority, describing their actions as “disgraceful” and damaging to the image of the National Security Secretariat.
The condemnation came during a high-level meeting with the National House of Chiefs on Friday, August 1, where COP Abdul-Razak not only expressed regret over recent incidents involving unprofessional behaviour by operatives but also unveiled a new operational strategy aimed at restoring public confidence and institutional integrity.
“It is very disgraceful the way sometimes our boys are found behaving in strange ways,” the Coordinator said, reflecting on widely criticized actions by personnel who have operated beyond their official remit.
A Growing Reputation Problem
The National Security Secretariat has in recent times come under growing scrutiny for what civil society groups, the media, and security experts describe as mission creep—where operatives encroach upon roles traditionally assigned to regular security agencies like the police, immigration, or prison service.
Numerous reports have emerged of National Security operatives engaging in unauthorized arrests, assaults on journalists, and covert operations that many say violate civil liberties and erode public trust.
These incidents have raised alarm bells within governance circles and led to public outcry over the need for a reset of the Secretariat’s role in Ghana’s democratic and security space.
New Operational Reforms: A Strategic Shift
Addressing these concerns head-on, COP Abdul-Razak announced what he described as a “modification in modus operandi” that will redefine the role of the Secretariat.
Under the new strategy:
National Security operatives will no longer be directly deployed on the ground unless their intervention is deemed absolutely necessary.
Traditional law enforcement agencies like the Ghana Police Service, Immigration Service, and Prison Service will now take the lead in all routine operations.
The Secretariat will return to its core mandate as a coordinating and intelligence-gathering body, rather than a frontline force.
“Previously, you would find National Security involved in operations meant for other security agencies. That is wrong,” COP Abdul-Razak emphasized.
“National Security should coordinate—not take over. We are at the top of the security architecture and should act as such.”
Part of Government’s Broader ‘Reset Agenda’
These reforms, COP Abdul-Razak explained, are part of a wider governmental agenda aimed at recalibrating Ghana’s security infrastructure to reflect professionalism, accountability, and inter-agency harmony.
He noted that allowing National Security to dominate operational spaces previously led to conflicts with other agencies, blurred lines of responsibility, and furthered public suspicion about the true role of the Secretariat.
“This new policy will help sanitise operations, reduce inter-agency friction, and reestablish the Secretariat as a strategic apex body, not a roaming enforcement unit,” he stated.
