Using armed civilians to police the ballot needless – Ben Ephson

Pollster and Editor-In-Chief of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson Jnr, says it is needless for a political party or anyone to use armed civilians at the polling stations across the country with the aim of policing the ballot.

In his view, one does not need armed civilians to ensure free and fair elections at the polling stations.

All that one needs, he noted, are good educated men and women who are dedicated to work and could calculate figures very well.

“You don’t need armed men and women at the polling station to prevent rigging,” he stressed.

Ben Ephson made this observation in an interaction with sit-in-host of Anopa Kasapa, Kwaku Owusu Adjei on Kasapa 102.5 FM on Wednesday.

Ephson’s remark was in response to comments by the Northern Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu that the elephant family will independently deploy 40 armed men to every polling station in the region to police the ballot box on voting day.

The NPP chairman at a political rally at Savelugu last weekend told the gathering that the move was to prevent a repeat of the “naked thievery” that characterized the 2008 and 2012 elections respectively.

“Members of Kukurudu, my brothers and sisters greetings to you all for the massive turnout; this means that the election is won already but what I have to tell you is that you know the NDC. They know how to steal. They stole in 2008 and snatched it from us in 2012. So I beg you my elders what I have for the youth is that this year election if care is not taken they will steal again.”

“So on 7 December get some young and strong men about 40 to guard the box and if the thieves come to snatch away the boxes break their legs. You were witnesses to the Supreme Court ruling; would you allow them to steal again? If they steal again we are dead so this one is do or die. Don’t agree! If they are not afraid of guns and cutlass we are also not afraid.”