The Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, says Ghana is safer now than it was in 2025, citing a reduction in curfews and improvements in communities previously affected by conflict.
Spekaing on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he said the government was working to ensure that people could go about their daily activities without fear.
“I can assure you that we are safer today than we were when we took over power,” he said.
“Ghana is much safer even today than it was in 2025.”
Mr Muntaka acknowledged that crime remained a challenge but maintained that the security agencies were taking steps to protect the public.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that you can go about your duties without necessarily having to be watching your back,” he stated.
Asked to provide figures to support his assessment, the Minister cautioned against measuring progress solely through reductions in deaths.
“Well, I always tell people that I hate the situation when I say, oh, last year, 200 people died; this year, 190 died.
He instead pointed to a decline in the number of curfews across the country. According to him, Ghana began 2025 with about 11 curfews and ended the year with about nine.
“As we speak now, we have only three more curfews,” he said.
The Minister also cited developments in the volatile town of Bawku in the Upper East Region, which he said had gone 150 days without gunfire.
“150 days, no gunshots,” he stated.
He said the improvement had allowed the authorities to ease the Bawku curfew to between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., while residents were now permitted to ride motorbikes between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
“They were not riding motorbikes for more than five years. Today, they are riding motorbikes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” he said.
Mr Muntaka recalled that violence linked to the Bawku conflict had previously spread to other communities, with retaliatory attacks and the burning of buses along highways.
“I mean, and I can bet you, these were periods that I could hardly sleep,” he said.
He explained that the authorities combined security operations with mediation and peacebuilding efforts to contain the situation.
Despite his assessment of improved security, the Minister identified ethnic conflicts, land disputes and illicit drugs as continuing concerns.
He also highlighted the challenges posed by porous borders, saying Ghana had more than 300 unapproved crossing points, compared with 48 approved entry points.
“The legitimate crossing points are 48,” he said.
“We have over 300 illegitimate crossing points.”
Mr Muntaka said cooperation with neighbouring countries remained essential to addressing security threats across the sub-region.
“You have to try and share intelligence; you have to work together,” he said.
