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IIAEA
to assist Ghana strategise on nuclear security
Accra, July 26, GNA - Experts from the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) are in Ghana to help put in place
strategies to ensure the safety and security of the use of
radioactive sources and materials in the country.
This has been necessitated by increased global concern that
there was a chance that weapons of mass destruction might be
used by terrorist organisations in the nearest future.
There is therefore the need for increased security at
installations by states with nuclear capability or
radioactive sources.
At an IAEA-organised awareness meeting of decision makers on
nuclear security at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC)
in Accra on Thursday, Prof. Edward Akaho, Director-General
of the GAEC, said Ghana had been confronted with the problem
of ensuring that all radioactive sources were controlled.
"If we succeed in doing so, then we can prevent any
radiological accidents that may occur within or elsewhere
the sources may be taken to."
He said in order to protect the individual, society and the
environment from such accidents the country should evolve
appropriate strategies to ensure that they were used in a
safe and well-secured manner.
As a result of this, he said, Ghana requested for an
International Nuclear Security Advisory Service Mission from
the IAEA.
The Mission, which was in Ghana from August 28 to September
1, 2006, assessed the nuclear security needs of the country
and made proposals for a plan of action, culminating in the
IAEA developing an Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan
for Ghana.
The two-day Accra meeting with the IAEA experts aims at
fine-tuning the Plan for adoption as a blueprint for the
implementation of nuclear safety and security in Ghana.
The meeting would also identify organisations that would be
responsible for the plan and the time frame for its
implementation.
Prof. Akaho expressed the hope that the focus of discussions
and the outcome of the meeting would eventually help Ghana
institute a sustainable nuclear security plan.
He assured the international community of Ghana's
willingness to make nuclear security a priority in the
scheme of things, as the country used radioactive sources
and radiating emitting sources for peaceful applications.
Dr Richard Hoskins of the IAEA's Department of Nuclear
Safety and Security told the participants that combating
nuclear terrorism was primarily the responsibility of
individual states, from prevention to detection, through
response to threats.
However, there was the need for international cooperation
and coordination to minimize and eliminate such occurrences,
because nuclear terrorism might be more attractive to
extremists as a result of the September 11 attacks in the
US.
As a first step to assisting Ghana in this sphere, Prof.
Geoffrey Emi-Reynolds, Acting Director of the Radiation
Protection Board of GEAC, told the GNA that the IAEA had
supplied a number of radiation alarm detectors to be worn by
Customs and other security officers to detect the import or
export of radioactive materials at the country's entry and
departure points.
He said the IAEA would be supplying more of the equipment to
Ghana to upgrade the prevention mechanism.
Participants a the meeting are drawn from the GAEC, the
security services, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, NADMO,
the Ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Justice,
Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, Bureau of National
Investigations and the National Security.
GNA
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