Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director, Public Affairs Directorate, Ghana Police Service (GPS), has assured voters of safety at the various polling centres in the December polls.
She said the Police had put in place various measures, including a Police Election Security Secretariat (PESS) and a National Elections Security Taskforce to ensure voters’ safety .
She was addressing a multi-stakeholder dialogue on media and security at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra on Tuesday, October 8.
The theme for the dialogue was, “Safeguarding peace before, during and after elections 2024; the role of media and security actors.”
ACP Ansah-Akrofi spoke on the topic “Prevention of election related violence; the role of media and security agencies.”
She indicated that the GPS reviewed its performance in the 2020 elections and based on the outcome, put in place more measures to safeguard the welfare of voters.
She said PESS, a platform for engaging all stakeholders in the electoral process was one of the measures by the GPS and other security agencies to strengthen security in the 2024 general elections.
“Your security is guaranteed at the election centres,” she pledged.
Additionally, she said the GPS was also in close contact with the media to ensure that both institutions carried out their work without interference from the other.
However, ACP Ansah-Akrofi advised voters to look out for their own safety despite the GPS’s assurances. “Look out for your personal safety. Do not expose yourself to harm or dangerous.”
She also warned that lawlessness will not be tolerated by the security.
Madam Princess Sekyere Bih, Director, Kingdom Concepts Consult, said the dialogue was very important as it would help minimise the tension between the Police and the Media during elections.
She noted that over the years there had been issues surrounding access to information, where security concerns often clashed with the media’s right to report.
She said the dialogue was to enable media and security agencies to strike the balance to avoid situations where excessive security measures might intimidate voters or hinder media coverage, while also preventing scenarios where unrestricted media access could compromise security or disrupt the voting process.
“This delicate balance demands clear guidelines, mutual respect, and ongoing communication between security forces and media representatives to ensure that both security needs and press freedom are adequately addressed without compromising the democratic process.”
Major General Richard Addo Gyane, Commandant, KAIPTC, charged the Media to be circumspect in their reportage to ensure that the peace of the country was maintained before and after the polls.
GNA