Dr Ishmael Norman urges Nitiwul to apologise over ‘unfair’ remarks on Ghana’s defence strength

Security expert Ishmael Norman has described recent comments by former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul as unfair and has called on him to apologise.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Dr Norman argued that Mr Nitiwul’s assertion that the absence of a substantive Defence Minister has left Ghana vulnerable was overly broad and disparaging to the country’s security institutions.

His remarks follow Mr Nitiwul’s sharp criticism of President John Dramani Mahama over the prolonged vacancy at the Ministry of Defence. The former minister had warned that Ghana’s security architecture was being exposed amid rising regional threats, particularly after the killing of eight Ghanaian traders in Burkina Faso.

“It is not very fair for Honourable Dominic Nitiwul to say that the absence of a substantive Defence Minister has rendered Ghana weak. That is a bit insulting to all the major generals, brigadier generals, colonels, the Chief of Defence Staff, all the way down the military hierarchy,” Dr Norman said.

“One civilian with no military experience who becomes Minister of Defence is not going to micro-manage the generals in the military,” he added. “His statement is too broad, too raw, and it alienates those working to keep Ghana safe.”

He further noted that countries without standing armies often maintain strong security systems through well-trained police, immigration and customs services, stressing that national security is not solely dependent on the military.

Dr Norman maintained that although he holds Mr Nitiwul in high regard, the comments were biased and partisan.

“I believe he should really apologise for that statement,” he said.

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