Parliament witnessed heated exchanges as the government introduced a proposed Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill aimed at overhauling Ghana’s national security structure and renaming the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI).
The bill, presented on February 19, 2026, by Minister of Interior Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, aims to address what government describe as persistent public confusion between the National Investigations Bureau and the National Investment Bank, both commonly referred to as “NIB.”
Under the proposed law, the current NIB would revert to the name Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI).
Government officials stress that this designation differs from its earlier historical title, the Bureau of National Investigation, and is intended to distinguish the intelligence agency from the state-owned bank.
Beyond the name change, the bill outlines sweeping structural reforms. A key proposal is the abolition of the Ministry for National Security, with its oversight responsibilities transferred directly to the Presidency.
MPs clash in Parliament over killing of Ghanaian traders in Burkina Faso
The intention, according to the government, is to consolidate coordination at the highest level of executive authority and eliminate overlapping mandates within the security framework.
Presenting the bill on the floor of Parliament, Mohammed-Mubarak argued that the reforms would improve clarity and operational efficiency.
“Unfortunately, we have a situation where you say NIB, people are wondering whether you are talking about the bank or the security agency. So one of the significant things we are trying to do is to reintroduce the name BNI… Bureau of National Intelligence,” he said.
He further explained that anchoring national security coordination under the President, rather than maintaining a standalone ministry, would help prevent institutional friction.
According to him, the current arrangement risks tension between a Minister of National Security and the National Security Coordinator, whereas the new model would establish a clearer chain of command with ministerial supervision embedded within the Presidency.
However, members of the Minority opposed the bill, describing it as ill-conceived and excessively centralising authority. They warned that the proposed changes could weaken checks and balances within the security system.
Former Minister of Defence Dominic Nitiwul questioned the long-term stability of the reforms, suggesting that they could make the structure of the intelligence agencies overly dependent on the political direction of the government of the day.
“If in four years you are no more in power, are we expecting a new government to also bring a new Act to reflect their direction?
“It will be dangerous for this nation to make that office and agency so powerful without proper accountability. It’s a misplaced priority, and if you do that, you’ll suffer,” Nitiwul said.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin also criticised the proposal, arguing that it lacks a solid policy foundation.
He maintained that the explanatory memorandum accompanying the bill fails to demonstrate that the current legal framework, Act 1030, is ineffective.
“The memorandum before us does not provide any empirical evidence to suggest that Act 1030 has failed. So much power is being given to the coordinator, and it is not clear how his powers are going to be fettered.
“Without clear responsibility, accountability and oversight, this becomes problematic. When citizens’ rights are abused, it will be justified in the name of national security,” Afenyo-Markin said.
He urged broader stakeholder engagement and amendments to address what he described as significant accountability gaps.
In response, Majority Leader Mahama Ayarigadefended the bill, framing it as an attempt to correct what he considers a structural error introduced under the NPP administration.
“We decided to cut down the number of ministers, and among the ministries we guillotined was the Ministry for National Security.
“What you [NPP] did was to force the hand of a President to appoint a Minister for National Security. It was a wrong thing for us to have done as a Parliament, and this historical wrong has to be corrected,” Mahama Ayariga said.
Discussion about this post