COP Dr George Akuffo Dampare (3rd left), Director General, Administration of the Ghana Police Service, with Mr Moritz Fischer (4th left), Representative of German Ambassador to Ghana, and Major General Francis Ofori-Atta (4th right), Commandant of KAIPTC, and some other officers at the opening ceremony of electoral violence and security course in Accra. Picture: ESTHER ADJEI

Calm down, we’ll protect lives - Police assure public

Esther Adjei Oct - 16 - 2020 , 09:59 2 minutes read

The Ghana Police Service has assured the public that it will do its best to maintain law and order as well as protect lives and property before, during and after the December 7 elections.

The Director General in charge of Administration of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare, said the police were fully commited to ensure peaceful and conducive environment for the 2020 general election.

Election security

Dr Dampare said this at the opening of a five-day Electoral Violence Security (EVS) course for 97 security personnel drawn from the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Prisons Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana National Fire Service and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Organised by the German Government in collaboration with the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), the course seeks to prepare security personnel towards the 2020 general election in Ghana.

The workshop also seeks to provide information and fundamental understanding of the roles of the police, military and other stakeholders in the management of the electoral process.

Peaceful elections

Dr Dampare said the goal of the police was to ensure a peaceful and safe presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana.

He, therefore, urged all security personnel to take advantage of the course to ensure that this year’s election was free, fair and peaceful.

New democracies

The Commandant of the KAIPTC, Major General Francis Ofori, noted that in well-established democracies, elections did not degenerate into conflicts, but for new democracies, elections remained a main trigger of violence and insecurity.

That, he said, imposed greater responsibilities on security agencies.

Major Gen. Ofori said the course would, therefore, provide the participants with the fundamental understanding of the roles in the management of the electoral process.

The German government representative, Mr Moritz Fischer, explained that the overall goal of the training was to contribute to peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana.

He said the workshop would prepare and equip the participants with knowledge on electoral cycle, conflict management, leadership in security management and community policing.
- #GhanaVotes2020