IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has assured that the forthcoming Akwatia by-election will be conducted in a violence-free manner, urging electorates not to panic.
Speaking during a press conference in Accra with the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), IGP Tetteh Yohuno said a total of 600 police personnel, representing the first batch, have been deployed to the community to lay the grounds for a peaceful election.
“The 600 people have been trained and prepared to search, to ensure that nothing dangerous is concealed in a vehicle or on a motorbike that can cause any trouble during elections. And also prepared the men who will be on the ground, so that if somebody intends to use a weapon to snatch a ballot box, the precision in dealing with that particular suspect was also demonstrated when we went to the ground. If there should be somebody who can climb the tallest building in Akwatia, we have the men, and the men have gone through that rappelling training (sic),” he stated.
Following his engagement with various political parties, IGP Tetteh Yohuno said he warned politicians to advise their followers not to misbehave during the voting process, saying, “We will take decisive action against misconduct to ensure public safety, particularly for the media. We must protect journalists, as they play a crucial role in keeping the public informed. We recognise the media’s importance and will treat them with respect and protection.”
He reiterated that the police would deal with threats to safety decisively, ensuring people and the media feel protected, saying, “the media’s safety is paramount. We must protect them, as they play a vital role in keeping the public informed. We urge our police officers nationwide to handle journalists with care and moderation during elections, recognising their importance in reporting events.”
On his part, GJA President, Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, stressed that while journalists make information publicly accessible, security agencies rely on it for operational intelligence. Despite this divergence, the shared foundation of information gathering should foster cooperation, not conflict.
“So why do we assault each other?” he asked, citing recent incidents of harassment and assault on journalists in the line of duty, particularly during public events and security operations.
Mr. Dwumfour further emphasised that dialogue, mutual understanding, and joint training could strengthen relations and enable both institutions to serve the public more effectively.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke