The Police have served notice that they will deal ruthlessly with persons who try to ferment trouble in the country on Election Day, December 7, 2016.
Speaking to senior police officers and the media in the Ashanti Region, the Regional Police commander, COP Kofi Boakye assured that the Police will ensure maximum security on the day.
“The Police are going to work without intimidation. In spite of the name calling we are going to do what they have been doing since the inception of this fourth Republic. Let it be told that we are going to work professionally, when the time comes for us to be ruthless to people who are bent on sabotaging and undermining our democratic dispensation, we will do so but we will work with human rights provisions at the back of our minds and the need to maintain the stability of this country,” headed.
COP Boakye also charged the Police to execute their mandate without fear or favour on the election day.
“There are instances where macho men go to polling stations, trying to whip people from the queue. They go and intimidate the EC official to do what is unlawful and some party officials who are not accredited try to go to the polling station because they are party members, I think we all know the rules. Therefore all the police are going to do is to enforce the law without fear or favour.”
Don’t delay election materials
The Police commander further admonished the Electoral Commission not to fuel tension in the region by delaying election materials and again warned polling station officials not to intimidate police officers assigned to their centres.
He said the EC must desist from “sending the wrong electoral materials to wrong polling stations” and also stop “giving conflicting and sometimes unnecessary command to the policemen at the post.”
“Also when the election is over the right decisions must be taken to get out the polling agents and the police when the line is to be curtailed.”
–
By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin