SECURITY FOR US PRESIDENT'S TOUR (CENTRE LEAD)

16/02/08
THE Ghana Police Service in conjuction with the American Security agencies, has put in place a stringent and comprehensive security arrangement to ensure a peaceful and successful visit of the President of the United States.
The arrangement will see the deployment of over 1,000 security personnel comprising all specialised units within the Ghana Police Service, National Security and the Armed Forces, at vantage points especially around the Kotoka International Airport and the hotel where the President would sleep for the three day visit and the personnel had been put on high alert.
Three American planes have already landed at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) discharging men and equipment from the American service.
According to a police source, on Tuesday February 19, 2008 no person or vehicle would be allowed around the airport area for over an hour prior to his arrival.
The US Presidential Jet, Airforce One, is expected to touch down together withn two other large planes, one carrying the press and the others carrying the white house staff at exactly 7:30p at the Kotoka International Airport with President George Walker Bush Jnr and his wife on board to begin a historic three-day official visit to Ghana.
The source said the road from the Airport to the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel would also be closed to traffic and no vehicle would be allowed there till the President had settled into the hotel room.
President Bush is schedule to meet President Kufour the next day and the road would be blocked from Teshie to the Castle at Osu.
Two US Naval ships has also landed in Ghana and had since been patrolling the coast.
According to the source Ghana has been selected as the operational base for the three West African countries namely Liberia, Benin and Ghana and added that all the operational structures had been put in place to co-ordinate affairs.
It said the selection of Ghana as a base for the three African countries shows the trust that the United States government have in the government and the security agencies of Ghana.
It warned the public that there would be inconveniences on the road so they should bear with the security agencies and respect sirens when they heard them in order to make the visit a memorable one.