Police Rap Media over Peaceful Election

By Bernice Bessey
The Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces, has vowed not to leave any stone unturned to tackle any criminal activity that might interrupt the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

According to the joint security force, they would not hesitate to arrest any individual or group of persons that will flout or violate the rules set to ensure a peaceful election, come November 7, 2016.

They also warned that the security forces would not tolerate any political party vigilante or taskforce, which will take the law into their own hands.

Addressing the media at an IGP's dialogue series in Accra yesterday, under the theme; “Safeguarding our democracy: role of the media in peaceful elections”, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. John Kudalor cautioned persons who would hide behind political party colours to misconduct themselves to avoid such practices, since the security would not look at faces or colours before prosecution.

“If you are a politician and you descend to that level, we will deal with you unless the law proves otherwise,” he cautioned.

To address some of these electoral disturbances and mayhems, a National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF) has been inaugurated ahead of time, with the responsibility of protecting the polls he announced.

He elaborated that the purpose of the NESTF was to maintain law and order, before, during and after the election, saying: “consequently, electioneering campaigns across the country will be effectively protected.

“In view of this, let me use this opportunity to remind the political parties to religiously comply with public order Act 491, to enable the police make security arrangement for them, anytime they plan to hold any special event.”

The IGP continued that the composition of the NESTF would not include politicians, just to avoid conflict of interest, as some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) may be contesting in the polls.

Mr. Kudalor intimated that the police and military have a long working relationship and as a result it has designed a 3-tier strategy, which will each be enforced as and when the situation demands for the smooth running of the elections.

Mr. Kudalor said: “We are confronted with yet another uphill task, and we are all being called to duty once again by our nation-our people, and we cannot afford to fail. There is the need for us to work together as stakeholders to ensure electoral integrity.

“Peaceful, credible elections are the responsibility of all and not only of Electoral Commission. Candidates, political parties and civil society all have a crucial role to play”, he added.

He explained that the dialogue with the media was part of the procedure of gathering momentum, mobilization and training of personnel, mobilization of transport and logistics, as well as assembling of legal, investigation and prosecution teams across the country.

Currently, he noted that a detailed auditing of the entire country has identified all the flash-points and vulnerable areas stating that, comprehensive operational strategies have been earmarked to curtail such incidents.

To safeguard the nation's peace, he promised that the police would give its utmost attention to the aftermath of the election, just as it did on the voting day.

He called for the collaboration of all actors to ensure peaceful elections, adding: “Indeed, the success of the election is going to be achieved through the concerted effort of all, including you, the media, political parties, security agencies, electoral commission, peace council, the clergy, and traditional authorities of the land.”

Continuing, Mr. Kudalor argued that the main aim of the police was to replicate the examples of the 2012 general election, which was touted as one of the best conducted with minimal incidents despite some few security challenges.

Since the encounter with the media was one of the series of meetings the police are expected to hold to guarantee the way forward in the up-coming general election, political party executives, chairpersons, general secretaries and youth leadership had already been engaged in the IGP's dialogue series.

The Police, however, are expected to dialogue with the Electoral Dommission, civil society organizations, the clergy and traditional rulers.

He added that though the country's borders are porous, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is working with the police to make sure that boundaries were protected and the navy to safeguard our territorial waters.

When asked how the police had dealt with past incident of electoral crime, IGP Kudalor pleaded with Ghanaians not to confuse electoral violations and criminal acts, though he said the case was still with the Attorney General Office.

A representative from the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Michael Adeti urged Ghanaians to be circumspect about how they act and talk ill about the country, as the nation is respected on the international front.

Explaining further, the police boss pleaded with all and sundry to love the country so that, the next generation would inherit it in peace and not in pieces.

The Director-General of Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno said:  “The November general election is starring us directly in the face, and we cannot, but to do everything possible to ensure its peaceful conduct.”

He added that as part of effort to ensure peace, the police was putting effective and efficient security arrangement in place saying: “We have identified some stakeholders, and are engaging them in finding the best and most peaceful way out.”

Though the media practitioners raised concerns about the influx of small arms into the country, the Director General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), COP Prosper Kwame Agblor debunked the account, saying only cartages are allowed to be imported into the country.

He said the CID through the Ministry of Interior only permits the importation of cartages and allow individual under severe scrutiny to acquire pistol.

Also, he attested to the fact that most weapons used in the country to conduct crime are mostly locally manufactured and that cannot be quantified, as the manufacturers produce them in hideouts.

COP Agblor urged the public to report such people to the police.  He further urged the public to report violent acts to the police.

Mr. Kudalor in group photograph