By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, July 17, GNA—Mr Henry Atto Okai, the Greater Accra Regional Executive Secretary, National Peace Council (NPC), says every constituency in Accra is a potential hotspot and must be factored into security arrangements ahead of the 2024 General Election.
He said aside the obvious hotspot areas, other constituencies had recently recorded violent incidents, hence the need to prepare adequately for any eventuality.
“With the way Accra is becoming now, I advise that we consider each constituency in Accra here as a hotspot, because in your analysis, you might sometimes get it wrong, thinking that this place is a safe area.
“So, we should not necessarily focus on those areas that recorded some incidents of electoral disturbances. We should take the region seriously,” he added.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, he described Madina, Ashaiman, Ablekuma Central, Ayawaso North (Mamobi area) and Ayawaso East (Nima) constituencies as some traditional hotspots in Accra.
He said attention should also be given to swing constituencies due to the heightened tension in such places.
“Look at Ayawaso West Wuogon for instance. A place like Prampram is now a hotbed. Due to the salt issue in the Ada East Constituency, leading to some conflicts between the indigenes and Electrochem Ghana, we can’t lose sight of that area,” he said.
A swing constituency is an area where all major political parties have a good chance of winning and is considered key to the outcome of presidential election.
Mr Okai said the National Peace Council had put together Regional Early Warning Response Groups to keep an eye on the hotspot areas.
He said the Council had also engaged political actors to take note of their concerns and put strategies in place to safeguard the country’s peace.
“Again, as part of our plan, we have initiated some conversations with the Greater Accra Regional Minister to discuss the threats and encourage information sharing between us and security agencies like the Police, the BNI, etc.”
Mr Okai urged the Electoral Commission to ensure transparency in the upcoming elections to promote trust in the electoral process.
“There’s so much polarisation, there’s so much mistrust between State institutions. There’s so much mistrust for the EC, there’s so much mistrust for the security. Those are some of the areas we need to work on and strengthen the institutions.”
He also advised political parties and their supporters to always use dialogue to address disagreements.
GNA