Ayawaso West by-election: Police provided security for 1st anniversary durbar

The Accra Regional Police Command has debunked claims that it did not provide security for the one-year commemorative durbar of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.

During a by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon on January 31. 2019 in Accra, there was some violence in front of the residence of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in that election, Mr Delali Brempong at Bawaleshie.

There were some gunshots which resulted in injuries to 18 people.

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The opposition NDC decided to organize a public durbar to commemoration one-year after the incident.

Following that, a police memo leaked to the public on Thursday indicated an order to policemen not to provide security for the event.

Part of the police  message read: "Indeed all police officers within the region must dissociate themselves from the event. Any police officer found to have availed his/herself at the ceremony will be severely sanctioned."

Meanwhile, a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra Regional Police Command, DSP Effia Tenge, stated that it provided adequate security coverage for the ceremony.

The statement said security deployment was led by the Airport Divisional Police Command and it also had support from the Regional Operations Counter Terrorism Unit, SWAT, Criminal Investigation Department personnel, Operations Calm life (Police Military collaboration) and officers from the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit.

"These security arrangements were mainly to ward off criminal elements who may take advantage to foment trouble and ensure adequate security before, during and after the event".

On the issue of the memo that went viral, DSP Efia Tenge told Accra-based Citi FM that the memo was to caution police officers who were not deployed not to attend.

"The intention of the memo or the communique was to warn personnel who were not deployed to conduct duty not to attend because we wanted to effectively coordinate every security arrangement from our end", she clarified.

The Regional Command has, however, assured all Political Parties and the general public that it will be fair in performing its constitutional mandate of providing security for everyone.

"The Regional Command would like to reassure all Political Parties and the general public that it will remain impartial to perform its constitutional mandate of providing security for all and sundry", the release said.

Read the full statement below;