Election 2020: Ensure Police Officers Wear Name Tags On Election Day – NDC To IGP

Ghana IGP Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is urging the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong-Boanuh to ensure officers that are deployed on Election Day are made to wear name tags.

This comes on the back of previous incidences typically the Ayawso West Wuogon Bye-election clash last year.

Videos that popped up after that election captured some security men allegedly deployed to keep the peace man-handling civilians, firing gunshots, injury supporters of NDC among others.

As part of many measures taken by the IGP to ensure nothing of that sort happens on December 7, it has been agreed that traditional uniforms [blue-black/black and camouflage] will be worn by security personal that will be assigned to duty on the election day.

While commending the IGP for the decision, the NDC says the uniform alone will not be enough.

According to a letter signed by Lt. Col. (Rtd) Larry Gbevlo-Lartey who is the Director of Operations for the NDC’s 2020 Campaign, the IGP should see to it that all security personnel wear name tags on their uniforms on the day for easy identification.

“It is our contention that the wearing of name tag identification is the surest way to safeguard the integrity and image of the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies that will be deployed for election day security activities,” a portion of the NDC statement reads.

The NDC is also recommending that the Police administration should for the sake of accountability and ease of reference, keep a register of all personnel who would be deployed at various locations on December 7th and make such a list available in case of any eventuality.

Read the full statement from the NDC below:

PRESS STATEMENT ON SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS FOR DECEMBER 7TH POLLS.

23/11/20

The attention of the NDC has been drawn to a circular issued by the Inspector General of Police to the effect that only traditional Police uniforms would be worn on Election 2020 duties and related operations. According to the circular, traditional uniforms for this purpose will be “blue-black/black and camouflage uniforms”.

The NDC believes that these measures derive from the lessons learnt from the embarrassment the Ghana Police Service suffered during the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye election disgrace. We therefore commend the IGP and his staff on plans drawn by the National Election Security Task Force to sanitize the security situation, maintain law and order on December 7 election day and ensure peace. However, the NDC is of the view that the announcement on the authorized uniform to be worn on D-Day will be inadequate without ensuring that all Police personnel and others drawn from other security agencies are properly identified with their names clearly displayed on their uniforms.

This normal dressing requirement for all service personnel should be strictly enforced to assuage fears that some Police uniforms being sewn will find its way into the hands of vigilantes/hoodlums recruited by the ruling Party/government to intimidate and surpress voters in opposition strongholds. Indeed, the NDC takes seriously information making the rounds that persons other than genuine Police officers some of whom were described as National Security operatives who committed acts of brigandage during the Ayawaso West Wogon bi-election last year will be clothed in such Police uniforms to avoid detection.

It is our contention that the wearing of name tag identification is the surest way to safeguard the integrity and image of the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies that will be deployed for election day security activities.

It is noteworthy that at a recent meeting of the Ministry of National Security and a delegation of the NDC, the latter made this same point because we are genuinely concerned about the likelihood of vigilante elements being paraded in Police uniforms to perpetrate acts of intimidation and brutality.

At the same meeting, the NDC delegation also recommended that the Police administration should, for the sake of accountability and ease of reference, keep a register of all personnel who would be deployed at various locations on December 7th and make such a list available in case of any eventuality.

Such additional measures as the NDC has recommended will serve to reassure the citizenry of a free and fair election.

We therefore urge the Inspector General of Police to take serious note of our legitimate concerns and act upon them in the interest of public safety and a peaceful election.

Signed

Lt. Col. (Rtd) Larry Gbevlo-Lartey

Director of Operations

NDC 2020 Campaig