The personnel comprising the Military, Police, Immigration, Fire, Prisons and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority are to augment the regional and district security task forces on elections day.

They would converge in the early hours of Monday at the Independence Square briefing for debriefing on the operational orders before their departure.

The Director-General of Police Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, disclosed these police intercessory church service in Accra yesterdays to seek God’s intervention and protection for successful elections.

In each region, COP Yohuno said, a top police officer, member of the Police Management Board (POMAB) would be sent to supervise the operational activities of the security task force.

He said there would be a reserved force made up of personnel of the Rapid Deployment Force to be on standby for any eventuality.

He said the national operational centre at the Police headquarters would respond to cases.

The Director-General Operations said the military would be the last resort in circumstances where the police could not contain or handle the situation.

Mr. John Kudalor, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) the National Election Security Task Force had met with the National Peace Council, the Electoral Commission, the political parties, religious bodies, the media among others to discuss how to ensure peaceful election.

The IGP said though the EC had been mandated to conduct elections, it behooves all to contribute towards successful elections.

He noted that the indispensability of the police and the other security agencies in a democratic dispensation could not over emphasized.

IGP reminded the personnel of their core mandate to protect lives and property and to ensure the safety of the electorate, official of the EC as well as the electoral materials.

Sheikh Armiyaw Shaibu, Head of the Islamic Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service, said elections were contest of ideas and not war and urged the public not to do anything that would mar the elections.

He cited a number of countries particularly In Africa that had been devastated by war as a result of election.

Shiekh Shiabu urged leaders of the political parties to advice their supporters to conduct themselves well before, during and after the elections.

In a sermon, on the theme ‘Jesus said to them, ‘peace be with you’ (John 20:21) the Director of the Police Religious Directorate, Very Rev. Fr. George Arthur, said peace was a prerequisite for national development and it was important that it was safeguarded.

Very Rev. Arthur, who is also an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) said the identification of flash points and the recent happenings should serve as a wakeup call for the police and other security agencies.

By Francis Asamoah Tuffour