NESTF ready to peacefully police upcoming polls

Mr Alhassan indicated that this had been replicated in all police establishments up to the district level and the purpose of this was to monitor reports through the police communications network and media analyses.

He told the security chiefs that to be able to prosecute the agenda, it was important to adequately prepare all those who would take part in the exercise. He said already  an elaborate training and retraining programme to build the capacity of personnel in Public Order Management and election-related duties had been done.

This, he said, was to sharpen the skills of security personnel and get them ready to meet the challenges ahead.

The deputy IGP also briefed the security chiefs about the extensive work done by the various sub-committees set up to handle various aspects of the election operation.

The Director-General of Police Operations, COP Mr John Kudalor, took the security heads and the operational commanders of the various security agencies through the details of the operational strategies of the election security and touched on personnel strength, training and deployment, logistics and equipment, welfare and communication among others.

The meeting afforded the security heads the opportunity to critique the preparation and also make input to perfect it.

In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the National Election Security Task Force [NESTF], IGP Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, urged the technical committee members to take all suggestions and contributions on board in order to institute a formidable security network for the election.

He also charged the security services not to let the nation down as the people looked up to them to deliver another peaceful election. 

The security chiefs also used the occasion to tour some facilities put in place to support the whole election operation. These include the National Joint Operation Centre, Signal Office and the Media Monitoring Centre.

The meeting, which took place last friday, November 23, 2012, was attended by the heads of all member security agencies in the country and this included the IGP, Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, the The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lt Gen Peter Augustine Blay, the Director-General of Ghana Prison Service, Mr Michael Kofi Bansah, Commissioner of Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Brigadier-General Carl Modey, the Chief Fire Officer, Brig Gen John Bosco Guyiri and top officials from the Ghana Immigration Service and the National security.

Story by Mary Mensah