Joint security teams on highways, not to intimidate - IPDC

Stakeholders at an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) meeting have allayed the fears of residents of the Volta Region at large that the presence of joint security teams on the highways was to protect them against external infiltration by saboteurs.

They said recent events of a criminal gang referred to as Western Togolanders and the threat of terrorism in the sub-region in a crucial election cannot be left unattended and only to be overtaken by any events.

They believed the joint security team are concentrating on their core business of protecting the sovereign integrity of the country and not to intimidate anyone and appealed to the people to go about their lawful duties without fear or favour.

Mr Bright Delali Kugbeadzor, Deputy Volta Regional Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress raised this concerns at the IPDC meeting, which is in tandem with the party’s position in the region about the presence of military deployment and joint security taskforce in Ho township and its environment and that it intimidated the people.

He questioned the rationale of a mounting roadblock in Ho because there is no border.

Mr Ken Kponor, Volta Regional Director of NCCE, said they have been educating the public on the reasons and presence of the joint security teams and urged the residents not to be afraid.

He said the media were advised to use acceptable language to promote and maintain the peace before, during and after the election with a higher calling for parties to restrain their supporters.

Mr Kponor said for the peace to prevail NCCE has stepped up intense education for the remaining week of the elections, especially in the identified hotspots in the region.

Sergeant Samuel Agu, a representative from the Police Service, assured the Committee that the presence of the joint security teams of Police, Fire Service, Military, Prisons Officers, Immigration and Customs was not to intimidate citizens but to protect lives and property.

He advised that National NCCE should educate the media more on their utterances and language used to enable them to maintain the peace enjoyed in the region.

Mr Oral Robert, Deputy Regional Director of NCCE, said that deliberations made by the IPDC Committee on the day included representatives of the Security Agencies, NCCE, media practitioners, political parties and Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) would go a long way in educating the citizens on the need to rally around the Ghana flag and not of any political party.

He encouraged the stakeholders to work vigorously within the last days to achieve the results of educating the electorate to exercise their franchise and to maintain peace before, during and after the election.