The Military High Command has given strong indication that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) will deal ruthlessly with any person or group of persons who are planning to mar the December 7 general elections and threaten the peace of the nation.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Michael Sampson Oje, who issued the stern warning yesterday at a media engagement on the preparedness of the military towards the December 7 general elections, also said personnel of GAF are ready to arrest and deal ruthlessly with people who are habouring ulterior motives to snatch ballot boxes and cause mayhem during the elections.
He said GAF and other security agencies have been empowered by the State and have monopoly over the use of force in the country, adding that the military has the capability to apply varying degree of force to any situation to ensure that the peace and security of the state is protected and maintained.
“We remain committed to our oath to defend the territorial integrity of the nation and in this resolve we shall not falter,” the CDS said, stressing that the military would be playing its role in maintaining peace and security without prejudice fear or favour.
The event was attended by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor and Director-General of Police Operations, COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno and other senior officers of the service.
The Chief of Defence Staff said the military has secured the borders of the country and would help deal with people who cause chaos before, during and after the general elections.
He explained that the military would continue to embark on the normal patrols, especially in areas identified as flashpoints in the country.
The military has its intelligence and various strategies in place to deal with the situation if things get out hand for the police and sister security agencies who would be directly involved in the elections to ensure an incident-free election, he added.
The CDS called on the media to also play their role in ensuring that the 2016 general elections do not pose any security threat to the nation. He said the media, who are major stakeholders in the conduct of successful elections, must not allow politicians to incite their supporters to cause commotion on their platforms.
He said the media must take a cue from what happened in Rwanda, Burundi and other African countries, which recorded genocide and conflicts because hate speeches were transmitted via the media.
“You as media must block out anyone who uses foul or inciting language or any hate speech,” Air Marshal Samson-Oje told the media.
On his part, COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno debunked reports that the police administration had given additional list for the special voting to the Electoral Commission (EC), saying that those new recruits, who have been drawn into the controversy, are part of the police service.
Most of the recruits who are registered voters would also be deployed to polling stations so they have to vote during the special voting in order to carry out their duties, he added.
He said not all policemen have been placed on the special voting list.
COP Yohuno gave the assurance that the police have put in place all the necessary measures to address all security challenges at the polling stations.
If people at the polling stations see any suspicious characters who want to snatch ballot boxes, they should quickly alert the police to arrest such people, he said.
He said measures had been put in place to enhance security for voters and media personnel at the various polling stations and also deal with trouble-makers at flashpoints in the country.
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