Goaso, (A/R), Nov. 22, GNA – The Ahafo Regional Police Command has identified 80 political ‘hotspot’ communities in the Region and assured the police would beef up personnel to maintain law and order for a peaceful general election.
The Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Kwami Loh, the Ahafo Regional Police Public Relations Officer disclosed this and emphasised the command’s preparedness to deal with troublemakers in these hotspot communities to facilitate violent-free elections.
He therefore rallied the support from residents to identify and clamp down on people with deviant behaviour that had the potential to disturb peace and mar the beauty of the December 7, polls.
ASP Loh was speaking at a dialogue session on political vigilantism organised by the National Peace Council NPC) with support from Ashesi University and Commonwealth, held at Goaso, the regional capital.
It was attended by 35 youth groups drawn from some of the hotspot communities including Sankore, Kukuom, Nkasiem, Acherensua, Hwidiem, Kwapong and Dadiesoba in the region.
ASP Loh indicated the police would not tolerate any violent behaviour at the various polling stations in the communities and cautioned particularly, both supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) to comport themselves in order not to be found wanting.
Mr Kennedy Atiibo Ayatah, the Acting Ahafo Regional Director of the NPC reminded Act 999 outlawed political vigilantism and advised leadership of the NPP and the NDC to sensitize their followers so that they would not breach the Act and subsequently face the consequences.
He emphasised the general election would be peaceful and violent-free in the area if supporters of the various political parties remained tolerance and eschewed acts of lawlessness particularly at the various polling stations.
As the NPC advocates peaceful elections, Mr Ayatah said political followers and Ghanaians in general also had the responsibility to uphold and defend the prevailing peace of the country.
Mr Eric Adu, the Acting Ahafo Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) noted peace remained a priceless commodity, and called on the youth to resist attempts by politiical parties to use them as tools to foment trouble before, during and after the December 7, polls to consolidate the gains of the country’s multi-party democracy.
GNA