Help police to ensure free, fair, peaceful elections!
Even though elections in the country so far have not brought about any large-scale violence or conflicts, that must not be the basis to be complacent that nothing untoward can happen to plunge the country into chaos.
At least, there are records of isolated violent cases that can be generalised that some miscreants can do the unexpected.
It is intriguing how elections in Africa, including Ghana, have become a source of fear that makes the people live on tenterhooks until all is done and the dust has settled.
Until then all efforts, projections, suggestions and what not must not be dismissed.
Everyone must be on the lookout and be on the guard to help contain anything that bodes evil which will rear its ugly head.
This is why it is important for the whole nation to ponder over the position taken by the Vice President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, by way of urging political actors and the electorate to support the Ghana Police Service to maintain law and order before, during and after the elections.
During election periods security services in the country, particularly the police, have to embrace extra responsibility of enhancing law and order.
In spite of all their collaborative efforts, some misfits in the society succeed in creating troubles here and there.
Such troubles are sometimes created on the blind side of the security personnel.
This is why we agree with the Vice President that “It is the duty of all of us to ensure that we have credible, peaceful, free and fair elections come December.”
That is to say that whatever needs to be done to ensure the success of elections in the country cannot be left to the security personnel, particularly the police alone.
It is a fact that all the security personnel in the country are playing their respective roles but most of the time some bad citizens make the work of the police very difficult and a daunting task.
The army, navy, air force, fire service, immigration, and customs personnel all help in policing or monitoring elections in the country but when it comes to arresting and prosecuting electoral offenders, that task is left to the police only.
Woe betide any member of the other security services who attempts to even arrest offenders because the whole country would go frenzy against that non-police security person.
Meanwhile, even the inadequate number of the police does not grant them the immunity to pick and choose which task to perform and which to avoid.
In simple terms, The Ghanaian Times is saying that the police already have much to do, at least, in the period leading to the elections, the time of the elections and days, weeks and a month or two after the elections, so the whole nation must help them to ensure peace, and law and order.
That is to help ease the burden on them to be able to discharge their duties professionally and with improved level of that dedication which has earned the Ghana Police Service global respect, which is an honour to the whole country.