Police personnel warned not to take alcohol on polls day

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) David Ampah-Bennin, Director-General (Technical) of Ghana Police Service at the weekend cautioned Police personnel to avoid alcoholic intake on December 7, the day of the General Election.

He said abstinence from alcohol on the day would enable the personnel to perform their duties creditably to facilitate free, fair and peaceful polls.

DCOP Ampah-Bennin who gave the caution at the closing ceremony of a week-long course on Public Order Management for 130 Police personnel and two senior Officers in Sunyani, noted that the success of elections depend on the capacity of the police to handle the event during, before and after.

The course, which was organised by the Police Administration aimed at equipping the personnel with the requisite skills, knowledge and professional approach on public order management towards the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

It also prepared them to be physically, mentally and psychologically fit to provide rapid security on crowd related violence before, during and after the elections.

Participants were taken through how to give protection to political rallies and other special events to avoid clashes in accordance with the public law, dispersing violent mob, protecting electoral offices, materials and national installations from violent crowd, human rights and the use of force in crowd control in Article 12 and 13 of the 1992 Constitution.

DCOP Ampah-Bennin urged the police to prioritise the interest of the nation to ensure that credible voters exercise their franchise peacefully without any public intimidations.

DCOP Robert Ayalingo, Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander called on the political parties to eschew violence and desist from the recruitment of heavily-built men (macho-men) as polling agents to cause violence.

He appealed to the political parties to obey the Public Order Act and the Electoral Laws and abstain from interfering with the election process to ensure peaceful elections.

The Regional Police Commander warned that the Police are ready to deal with people, especially macho- men and supporters of contestants who try to cause commotion and disturbances at the polling stations.

“Attacks and prevention or delay of delivery of election materials to polling stations will not be tolerated by the police to affect the peace of the nation,” he said.

DCOP Ayalingo asked the personnel to be able to identify and arrest ring leaders of riots mobs without the use of force and fires arms.