Ghana on guard against terrorism threats: president

ACCRA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on Wednesday said Ghana is a safe place to live in despite terrorist attacks in neighboring countries.

Answering questions from journalists at a media encounter to mark his first year in office, Akufo-Addo said Ghana, in principle, could not be exempt as a potential target for terrorists so its security preparedness is an extremely important matter.

"I think that, as far as our status is concerned, compared to many of the states in our region, so far so good, on our path. Ghana is stable, secure and safe and I am going to do anything I can to make sure that that image, the reality of Ghana continues," he said.

"But it is an area where we can never let our guard down and we will have to continue to do all those things -- sharing intelligence with others, beefing up our own capabilities," he said, pledging his government's commitment to dealing with some of the long-term causes of terrorism such as economic development, youth employment.

Akufo-Addo's assurance comes three days after the police intercepted objects they believed to be varied species of explosives here in the capital, Accra.

The media encounter assembled some editors and selected journalists who asked the president questions on his stewardship and the state of Ghana in the last one year. This is the second of such encounters since Akufo-Addo assumed office on Jan. 7, 2017. Enditem