Police in position to ensure peaceful polls – IGP

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor, has assured that the Police Service is the position to quell any situation that may destabilize the peace of the country during the polls in December.

The IGP made the remark in an address to journalists after observing a police simulation exercise on Friday.

Mr. Kudalor also stressed the need for community involvement  in policing, stating that it was a shared responsibility.

“We are trying to bring everybody on board; the chiefs, the youth, the parties,” IGP Kudalor said as he urged all Ghanaians to be law abiding.

“As an institution, I assure you that wherever this violence, we shall do everything possible to curb them as they occur. I assure you that we shall leave a very secured society and environment after the elections,” he added.

5,000 hotspots identified
The Police Service has already revealed that, it has identified over 5,000 hotspots in the forthcoming elections, which must be managed to avoid violence.

The Electoral Commission (EC) Chair, Charlotte Osei, also warned that the 2016 election could be the most fiercely contested and may lead to violence if not well managed.

Mrs. Osei also warned against complacency stemming from the conduct of six prior peaceful elections; two of which involved a change in power.

According to her, the proliferation of illegal small arms and the rising levels of drug abuse and joblessness among the youth is creating a fertile room for violence in this year’s elections.

She cited reports conducted by the Small Arms Commission in 2014 noting that over 3.2 million weapons are in Ghana and out of this number 1.1 million are illegal.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana