Security lapses during elections should be tackled

The anxiety that comes with the conduct of elections is caused by the laid-back attitude of security agencies, particularly the Ghana Police Service, who are responsible for election security. 

Their nonchalant attitude has emboldened criminal activities of all kinds during elections.

How on earth is it that seven good months after the 2024 general elections, not even a single person has been prosecuted for any infraction of electoral laws across the country?

Having been involved in the conduct of elections as District Electoral Officer, Deputy Regional Director and Regional Director for almost three decades at the Electoral Commission (EC), I say without any shred of doubt that it requires both mental alertness and physical energy to execute elections at all levels.

There is no institution in Ghana whose functions and performance come under public scrutiny more than the EC.

Election officials, therefore, need a peaceful and supportive environment to execute their mandate. However, some political activists have physically and verbally assaulted election officials openly for preventing them from manipulating voting processes in the presence of security officials.

It was shocking when thugs stormed EC’s old headquarters and vandalised the collation centre early in the morning of the very day scheduled for collation of results for some of the outstanding constituencies. Meanwhile, the premises of the collation centre had then been declared security zone at that time.

Irrespective of police armoured vehicles with armed personnel on the premises 24/7, these hooligans carried out the dastardly act and vanished from the scene.

It is believable that the school building where the Ablekuma North Constituency election materials were kept was also set ablaze.

If no one was apprehended for the criminal violence, or prosecuted, what precedents are we setting for subsequent elections?

It is unfortunate that a simple civil activity, like an election, carried out unnoticed in some countries turns violent in Ghana.

Until perpetrators of election crimes are punished to ensure discipline and sanity in Ghana’s electoral system, there may come a time when people will not serve as election officials and citizens will not offer their property for election activities.

Effective security before, during elections and after elections must be the norm.

The writer is a
Former. Gt Accra Reg. Director, EC/President, Global Elections Gurus.
E-mail: kwmoah@yahoo.com