Security Was Stable

Story: Mary Mensah    
THE security situation in the country since the start of  voting has generally been stable.
From the beginning of the voting which started at 7a:m and ended at 5p:m there has not been any serious security threat to the process.
According to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Alhassan, the voting process was very smooth.
He said although there was not any serious security challenge to the security agencies they were not complacent, especially as the counting of the votes was very critical.
Mr Alhassan said arrangements had been made for the critical period after voting, and that they were currently changing to the next strategy of the security plan for the elections.
He said Ghanaians had come of age, and that there would come a time when they would not need any security presence while casting their votes.
According to him, security personnel were deployed to the various polling stations in the country, and were at post before the arrival of the Electoral Commission’s officials.
Mr Alhassah said there were reports that some polling stations had no security officers but it turned out that there were either Fire Service, Immigration or Prisons officers but because they did not see any policeman around they said  there was no security presence.
 At the Joint Security Operations room at the information room of the Police Headquarters in Accra, the Director General in Charge of Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP), Mr John Kudalor told the Daily Graphic in an interview that there had been a few complaints but they all bordered on the delay of electoral materials, malfunctioning of machines, long queues and attempts to jump queues but the security personnel  were able to contain the situation.
 He said since the start of voting the security agencies had not had any serious security threat as they were firmly on the ground patrolling the polling stations.
Apart from the delays in the arrival of polling materials and presiding officers they had no complaints.
Meanwhile,  Rose Hayford Darko reports from Tema that the regional police command has arrested 10 alleged machomen whose movements created suspicion at Adjei Kojo, near the Believers Church, at a time the presidential and parliamentary elections were going on .
She said the police were currently keeping them in custody pending further investigations.
The ten men were suspected to be ‘machomen’ found hovering around a polling station near Adjei Kojo on a 33 seat Benz bus with registration number GT 2519 L..
The police did not disclose their names for security reasons .
Confirming the incident to the Daily Graphic in Tema, the Tema Regional Police Public Relations Officer , Assistant Superintendent of Police Olivia Turkson, said at about 12 noon  yesterday while the  presidential and parliamentary  elections were going on police had information about a bus loaded with the suspects.
She said the Ashaiman Patrol Team was immediately alerted  to rush to the scene, and they found the bus parked close to  a polling station  near Adjei Kojo.
ASP Turkson said the occupants of the bus were escorted to the Tema Regional Police  Command  for interrogation .
She said a search was conducted on the bus but nothing incriminating  was discovered but the suspects claimed that they were monitoring the election on behalf of the National Democratic Party (NDC).
ASP Turkson said the police had however decided to detain the alleged machomen for further investigations.
She said  the idea of being on a bus close to a polling station raises suspicion and the police were not leaving anything to chance to ensure a peaceful election .
Meanwhile, people who had finished voting decided to wait around to ensure that ballot boxes were protected to avoid any snatching incidents.