Election taskforce set up in Tema

The Tema Regional Election Security Taskforce has been launched in Tema.

Speaking at the ceremony, Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, who launched the taskforce, called on the members to plan, organise, implement, monitor and coordinate activities of security agencies to create a conducive security space for elections.

He noted that a few drawbacks in the country's elections need to be identified and effectively addressed to obtain the full benefits of elections.

"…prominent among these drawbacks is the issue of elections security," he said.

The regional minister stated that even though the country had held six elections with different security situations, he stressed that there was the need to put in place the necessary security measures to avoid any complacency towards the 2016 elections.

He congratulated the Tema Police Command for the establishment of an election security structure, regional elections security desk, regional media monitoring desk and regional elections security task force to ensure a peaceful, free and fair elections this 2016.

Hon. Afotey Agbo also charged members of the task force to be fair and tactical in the discharge of their duties.

In his welcome address, the Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Paul Manly Awini, noted that elections are normally characterised by law, order and security challenges.

These challenges, he urged the task force to be ready to deal with them.

He said to ensure that the prevailing peace and security of the region is maintained beyond the elections, steps such as elections security planning, draft deployment plan and capacity building, equipment and logistics readiness, stakeholder engagement, building of election security structures have been put in place to forestall any violence or chaotic situation that may arise during the elections.

The regional commander hinted that membership of the task force was drawn from all the heads of security agencies in the region, regional directors of the EC, National Commission on Civic Education and the Information Services Department among others.

The task force would be chaired by the Tema Regional Police Commander, he added.