Security Agencies demonstrate readiness for 2020 elections

Security Agencies in the Western Region have held a simulation exercise and a route march through the principal streets of Sekondi-Takoradi to demonstrate their preparedness to ward off external threats before, during and after the December 7 general elections.

Personnel of the Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, Airforce, Immigration, Fire Service, Ghana Police Service, Prisons and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) participated in the simulation exercise and the route march.

The march also aimed at providing Multi-Agencies Interoperability security for the December 7 polls and marked the climax of the “Exercise Western Shield 2020,” which was launched by the Second Infantry Battalion (2BN).

Major Martin D. Dziedzorm Dey, the Commander Rear of the 2BN, described the three-day exercise as successful and urged the troops to keep up the morale.

He commended the media for helping in the dissemination of information on the Exercise to sensitize the public of the Western and Western North Regions.

Brigadier General Yeboah Nsiah, General Officer Commanding, Southern Command, in his closing remarks, said the objective of the exercise was to create election security situation awareness, provide insight in Crowd Management and Control, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures and Internal Security in a coordinating setting in a straight and efficient manner.

“Contemporary security of the State requires a multi-agency approach in resolving our security issues hence, the need to design an exercise like this to foster joint operations among all the security agencies”, he said.

He said, "the exercise is relevant within the strategic context of election security as it is intended to harmonize the roles of stakeholders in the fight against terrorism and to prepare the Ghana Armed Forces and major players of ‘Operation Peace Trail’, thus the 2020 general elections".

Brigadier Nsiah pointed out that the Exercise has enhanced the inter-multi agencies operations and coherence in the fight against terrorism and expressed the hope that the troops would apply the knowledge gained from the exercise to help in their operations.

“I have no doubt that the lessons thought have been accepted and adopted as already reflected in the course of the Exercise at the Bank of Ghana and the one at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the other one at Atuabo Gas Plant,” he indicated.

"This morning’s vehicle-mounted route march sends three important messages such as telling Ghanaians that the troops are together, they are battle ready to protect the territories of Ghana in the task ahead in combating crime and terrorism and telling Ghanaians to have confidence in them".

Brigadier Nsiah, therefore, encouraged them to maintain a high standard of discipline and professionalism wherever they find themselves, adding “to be effective as security personnel you have to abide by the rules and regulations at all times which is inevitably a requirement and obligation for all of us.”