IGP assures nation of robust security plan for 2024 election

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Chairman of the National Election Security Taskforce, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has assured Ghanaians of a comprehensive and robust security plan to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election on December 7. 

Speaking at a high-level meeting with some key stakeholders at the Police Headquarters yesterday, the IGP highlighted the extensive measures put in place to safeguard law and order before, during and after the polls.  

Trust and collaboration

Welcoming the stakeholders, Dr Dampare emphasised the critical role of trust and collaboration in achieving a peaceful electoral process and revealed that the security plan for the 2024 General Election was the result of two years of meticulous preparation.

Described as a blueprint for election security, the comprehensive framework is designed not only to address immediate needs but also serve as a standard for the next three decades.  

“This blueprint will be the standard security plan for elections now and beyond, with an enduring 30 years from now in mind,” he stated, adding that the same strategy had driven the success of recent by-elections and internal political party elections, with support from stakeholders and the good of Ghana,” he said.  

The IGP further disclosed that the operational aspects of the plan had already been disseminated nationwide.

“As we speak, the aspect of the blueprint that relates to the December 7, 2024 elections has so far been distributed across the country, and officers are going through to know where they will be deployed during the elections,” he explained.  

Strict security standards

While acknowledging the challenges faced in previous elections, Dr Dampare highlighted the critical role of collation centres in the electoral process.

“We have also realised that most of the challenges during elections come from the collation centres.

“To address this, the National Elections Security Taskforce has been working closely with the Electoral Commission to ensure all collation centres earmarked for the 2024 general election meet strict security standards and are equipped to support an orderly process,” he said.  

The IGP reiterated the importance of public confidence in the security forces ahead of the general election and urged stakeholders and the media to disseminate the message of assurance to Ghanaians to build trust in the system’s ability to deliver a peaceful election to safeguard Ghana’s continuous democratic success.