The Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, has said that the Ghana Armed Forces will be playing a supportive role during the 2024 general elections. He says they will take a backstage while the Police and other security agencies play the leading role in ensuring security during the polls. The Military, he said, will only come in if the situation gets out of hand.
“We in the armed forces commit our internationally-mandated role and duty to protect this country and prevent any aggression from outside the country and also from within and we do so by air, by sea, and by land. even to the peril of our lives.
“For the elections proper, we may not be in the upfront of the election duty but we will be in the background ever ready and ever prepared to support the police service and other security services in case the situation degenerates,” he said at a meeting held with the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) Jean Mensa and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Accra on Tuesday, December 5.
The IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare also assured that the security agencies would ensure the peace of the country at all times, especially during elections. He says the security agencies will not compromise on the steps to ensure the peace of the country.
“We will keep ensuring that in every election that is conducted, there is peace, security, law and order. We will do whatever it takes for the country to continue to be at peace and we will not compromise on it,” he said.
For her part, Madam Jean Mensa said Ghana is currently experiencing planned attempts to unleash violence before, during, and after elections.
This, she said, is being orchestrated to dent the image of institutions such as the EC, the Police, and other security agencies.
She recounted that in order to capture power, politicians and their supporters use all manner of means including violence to achieve that purpose.
To that end, she commended the IGP and the other security agencies for the efforts they put in place to tackle violence.
She said “We are aware of the security threats we face today when elections are coming. The evidence of threats to our security confronts us daily. Indeed, elections have become the lifeblood of our society, people eat, drink, and breathe elections 24 hours a day. We do witness the dialogues on our radio and TV on a 24-hour basis, the quest for power today has become so fierce.
“In the bid to capture power, our politicians and their supporters use all manner of methods to achieve their goal. In the wake of this, our security and safety are not spared. Today, we witness a mysterious and targeted approach by sections of our society to destabilize the peace of our nation and threaten lives, all in a bid to control power and the resources that come with it.
“Based on past experiences it is now clear we cannot take any election for granted, gone are the days where we could take likely security arrangements in non-competitive elections such as the upcoming district assembly elections. It is for this reason that we acknowledge IGP and applaud him and his leadership for taking this initiative now.
“Presently one of the major challenges we face is that whereas the violence experienced in elections in the early 2000s and the early 90s were birthed out of genuine causes and disagreement, what we witness today is a predetermined well-orchestrated strategy to unleash violence before, during, and after the elections for the sole purpose of undermining the credibility and integrity of elections and denting image of institutions such as the EC, Police and other security agencies.”
By: Laud Nartey
