The National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF) has adopted a robust pre-election and post-election master security plan to enable citizens and security agencies to effectively manage any potential chaos before, during, and after the election.
According to the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, the plan outlines the specific duties and responsibilities of each officer on the Election Day, in ensuring a rapid response to any potential security breaches during the elections.
The IGP was speaking at a NESTF meeting with the Commonwealth Observer Group Mission to Ghana to discuss the force’s preparedness towards a peaceful election come December 7.
Dr Dampare assured the Commonwealth Observer Group Mission to Ghana that the country’s strong security force would make them proud to be African citizens.
The IGP confidently guaranteed that the police service was well-prepared to ensure a peaceful and smooth electoral process come December 7.
“We are happy to receive you as an observer mission to come and experience the capability of the Ghanaian security force,” he said.
Briefing the public on the task force’s preparedness, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Frederick Kwadwo Adjei, said that the plan sought to outline the roles and responsibilities of each officer on the election day.
DCOP said that the plan, which has been electronically devised, sought to show where each officer would be performing their duties on election day.
To ensure the success of the plan, DCOP Adjei stated that the security personnel in charge of maintaining peace and order during the elections have undergone training on the election manual to build their capacities.
“I would like to assure you once again that we are ready and this election is going to be very peaceful,” he said.
In addition to the master security plan, DCOP Adjei said that the task force has also set up rapid response teams to provide immediate security attention in constituencies during the electoral process.
“The plan has been implemented in such a way that within a very short time, the security personnel would get to the place and provide the needed security to prevent the situation from getting worse,” he said
The Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group who also doubles as the former President of Botswana Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, said that he arrived with his team to the country to observe and verify the credibility of the electoral process come December 7.
“We have come here as humble servants of the Commonwealth to help our fellow Commonwealth country, Ghana, to realise its ambition and goals of going through an election process,” he said.
Mr Masisi said that his outfit would sought to ensure that the upcoming election met with the standards established by the Commonwealth in prioritising democracy.
The former president said that his team would meet with various stakeholders, including political parties and election officials, to ensure that the electoral process of the country adhered to established standards of the Commonwealth community.
BY AGNES OWUSU
