George Akuffo Dampare
The Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare, has urged political parties to remain calm and focused, emphasizing that Ghana is preparing for elections, not war.
Speaking at the Police and Political Parties’ engagement in Accra, IGP Dampare sought to reassure stakeholders of the police’s commitment to ensuring peace and security during the upcoming elections.
Call for Calm
George Akuffo Dampare began by urging all parties to remain calm, stating, “Let us all calm down. This is an election, and after the election, there is life. After life, there is death. War will tire and phase out, and another set of people will come, and we will be forgotten.”
Appreciation for Cooperation
The IGP expressed gratitude to political parties for their trust and confidence in the police, particularly during internal elections.
“We commend you all for such a feat, where you ceded the fullness of security to us and gave us the assurance that even if anybody from your party shows up and considers himself or herself as a security person, we should have the person arrested and dealt with.”
Security Measures
The IGP assured that the police will deal decisively with any individuals attempting to disrupt the elections.
“We’ll be waiting for them. If you want to vote, then submit yourself to the police. We’ll deal with you by the law.”
Commendation for Peaceful Campaign
The IGP also praised political leaders and presidential candidates for conducting themselves peacefully during the campaigning process.
“So far, with a few pockets of incidents, we haven’t had anything that is beyond control in terms of maintenance of our voter.”
Commitment to Peace
Dampare reaffirmed the police’s commitment to ensuring peace, security, law, and order.
“Where we need to engage, we will engage. Where we need to de-escalate, we will de-escalate. But where we need to be merciless, when it comes to the application of law, within the context of the rule of law, we will.”
Message to Ghana
The IGP concluded by emphasizing Ghana’s capability to manage its affairs.
“We pray that the rest of the period for campaigning will bear with us, for us to walk through this successfully. And be able to show to the world that indeed, black lives matter. That Ghana is capable of managing its affairs.”
Background
The 2024 general elections are scheduled for December 7th, with tensions rising among political parties.
The Police and Political Party’s engagement aimed to address concerns and outline security measures for the elections.
BY Daniel Bampoe