Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says it is time the nation increases it counter-terrorism security.

He noted that the terrorists choose tourist destinations as their locations to effect maximum damage to numerous nationalities and make sure they catch world attention.

The former deputy Education Minister’s comment follows a terrorist attack on Wednesday on UK’s Parliament in which five people were died with over 50 others injured.

This was after a man drove a car along a pavement in Westminster knocking down pedestrians and leaving dozens injured.

The attacker stabbed and killed a policeman and was shot dead by the police in the grounds of London’s Parliament.

He commended President Nana Akufo-Addo for the swift move to commiserate with the British and condemning what he described as a barbaric act.

Speaking on Joy FM/MultiTV’s news analysis programme Newsfile Saturday, he said the acts of terrorist should inform the nation to increase security and not leave anything to chance.

Some Ghanaian parliamentarian has so far called for improved security since the Westminster incident.

“The Ghanaian parliament, many people come there for a visit including students on excursion, journalists and tourists,” he said adding “the discussion about enhanced security should not be about the precinct of parliament, it should be about our borders.”

On June 26, 2015, a hotel at Port El Kanaoui was hosting 565 guests was attacked. A man opened fire on revelers on a beach, which ended the lives of 38 people.

Again, on November 2015, a terror attack at a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital also left at least 21 people dead.

Also, on January 2016, 28 people were killed and a further 56 injured in Burkina Faso after Islamist militants attacked a hotel in the capital, Ouagadougou, popular with foreigners.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said it carried out the attack.

The siege at the Splendid Hotel was declared over after a joint operation by local and French security forces.

On March 2016, attackers fired on beach-goers in Grand Bassam, about 40km (25 miles) from the commercial capital Abidjan.

The resort, which is popular with both locals and foreigners, saw four Westerners dead.

According to Mr Ablakwa, the terrorists are becoming more sophisticated in their methods by using the internet. He, therefore, advised that the nation’s cyberspace must be watched.

“Considering the incident of suicide is on the increase among our youth, in a matter of time, a little radicalisation then people who are suicidal would want to go down with others.

“It is easy to be radicalised and be recruited by groups like ISIS that has taken responsibility for the London attack. It is important that all of us be on the look out what our children are doing in cyberspace and social media,” he said.




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