The police have deployed hundreds of security personnel to various intersections in the country to control the post-election violence across the country, the Director of Public Affairs of the Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Grace Ansah-Akrofi has said.
Though the number of personnel could not be disclosed for security reasons, the move, she said, was to ensure calmness and protect the citizenry from further lawless acts by perpetrators who sought to disrupt peace and stability in the country.
ACP Ansah-Akrofi made these known in Accra yesterday at a press conference organised by the National Election Security Task Force (NESTF) to discuss measures to ensure peace and security after the elections.
ACP Ansah -Akrofi said the police had recorded pockets of violent incidents in three regions out of the 16 regions in the country.
The three regions, she said, included the Greater Accra Region, the Bono Region and Eastern Region.
At the Bono Region, she said an individual invaded a police station and freed some suspects at a police station, however, the police intervened to ensure that law and order was maintained.
In Greater Accra Region, she said, there was massing up of people at the Ghana Gas Company in which the individuals vandalised properties but the police worked together with the military to restore order.
In the Eastern Region, she said there were demonstrations and road blocks by some supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), however, the police intervened and ensured law and order.
ACP Ansah-Akrofi said the police have intensified security measures across the country and assured the public that safety would be ensured in the country.
“There is enhanced visibility through joint patrols with other security agencies, intelligence-led operations within communities to identify and arrest perpetrators,” she said.
She said the police has deployed more security personnel at targeted state facilities in the country to safeguard them.
For his part, the Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr Emmanuel Asante, advised journalists to report accurately and avoid being partisan during this crucial period.
He urged citizens in constituencies awaiting election results to exercise patience, assuring that the Electoral Commission was committed to disclosing accurate outcomes.
“I’d rather not rush the EC to declare what it has not verified or dealt with. So it is important at this time also to learn how to let the processes move as they are,” he said.
The chairperson of the Civil Forum Initiative, Major-General Nii Carl Coleman, commended the police service for their professionalism and strategic approach to maintaining peace during the recent elections.
The Major-General also highlighted the importance of educating the public about the rule of law and the consequences of electoral violence
BY AGNES OWUSU
