Every Ghanaian will be safe on 7 December, IGP assures
The Inspector General of Police, James Oppong-Boanuh, says Ghanaians can go about their duties on 7 December without fear because his charges will be on red alert
- “I am assuring all Ghanaians that the security agencies are prepared to protect Ghanaians, the EC officials, election materials and at the same time protect people in their homes and workplaces. We won’t renege on our duties because of the elections."
James Oppong-Boanuh, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), has assured Ghanaians that the security agencies are prepared to protect and safeguard the peace of the nation before, during and after the elections.
The IGP called on the public to cooperate with the security agencies to ensure a peaceful and violent-free election.
“I am assuring all Ghanaians that the security agencies are prepared to protect Ghanaians, the EC officials, election materials and at the same time protect people in their homes and workplaces. We won’t renege on our duties because of the elections, but we need the cooperation and support of Ghanaians,” Oppong-Boanuh said in an interview with Kwame Sefa Kayi on Peace FM on Thursday (3 December).
The IGP added: “Everybody should go and vote in peace and leave the polling stations, we are protecting the place, nobody should take the law into his or her own hands or bring any weapon to the polling station, else we will deal with the person.”
He asked journalists to verify information and double check before publishing in order to avoid inciting people and thereby creating insecurity in the country, adding it will help safeguard Ghana’s enviable record as a beacon of hope in the sub-region.
The IGP also announced the service will begin dispatching security personnel from Friday ahead of Monday’s polls.
Deployment
Oppong-Boanuh last month announced some 62,794 security personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order during the polls on 7 December.
The personnel have been drawn from the Ghana Police Service, Fire Service, Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Prisons Service, customs division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Armed Forces.
“All the personnel that I have mentioned will be in their regular uniforms with the exception of personnel from the Criminal Investigation Department and of the Police Service and Bureau of National Investigation who will remain invisible,” he said.
“We will adopt a four-tier approach of policing the ballot at all the over 33, 367 polling stations revised recently to 40,000 and 275 collation centres, while patrol and standby forces will be on the standby when the need arise.”
Fred Dzakpata
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