By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, Nov. 26, GNA – Journos in the Volta region have passionately appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare to urgently review his policy of non-disclosure of information or engagement to the media.
They alleged that the policy is anti-policing and distanced the media from the people, when the IGP anchored one of his policies on community policing.
They contended that community policing is a global phenomenon and the IGP could not gag Commanders from speaking to the media on topical developments, many of which bordered on public interest and information to achieve that.
Mr Maxwell Awumah, the Volta and Oti Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency questioned the morale of the policy, which disengaged the camaraderie between journalists and the Police, as a vital state institution, during a Police-Media stakeholder engagement in lieu of the impending elections.
“The IGP is seeking our support in the general elections, when he feels obliged to gag Commanders from speaking to the media, while asking for our engagement and collaboration. Will this collaboration terminate after the elections or will the policy be reviewed,” he asked.
He said the Police administration continued to seek public cooperation and information in battling crimes with the latest being a request for public disclosure to help them arrest some political hooligans, who were on widely circulated video on social media, threatening to cause mayhem in the election if results fail to satisfy their expectation.
The Regional Manager said sometimes the media gave intelligence-led information to the Police to administer law and order, “how then does the IGP gag commanders?”
Mr Awumah stated that the media, just like any other as a human institution, could not be perfect and sometimes fell behind infractions, but these were occasional developments, which should not be generalised .
Mr Alberto Norietti, the Regional Correspondent for the Daily Graphic said non-engagement by the police would only leave journos to seek refuge in realms of speculation, which could be avoided in the discourse of public information.
There were other questions that bordered on the police-journos relationship and the elections.
In response, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Andrews Boadu-Ekumah, the Volta Regional Police Commander and Chairman of the 2024 Election Taskforce said the media concerns would be dispatched to the appropriate quarters without delay.
He said as part of security coordination for the elections, Police personnel would be deployed to all media houses in the region and an enhanced Police Patrol Team would also be constituted in a three-tier approach to de-escalate any incidence that would emerge.
He said all polling stations would have stand-by security with re-enforcement in sharp proximity to prevent any disturbances.
The Regional Commander disclosed that security would also maintain a “no arms policy” at polling stations and expected the electorates follow the voting process without carrying arms and other offensive materials stating, “the military will only be engaged, when the Police are confounded”.
He urged Ghanaians to safeguard the country’s fledgling democracy by protecting the peace on election day and beyond saying “we are all Ghanaians, let us protect the peace”.
He encouraged the media to guard against mis, mal, and disinformation as the repercussions are dire for the peace of the nation.
The stakeholder engagement was taken to Churches, Mosques, Political parties, Chiefs and Traditional Areas to sensitise the electorates on what to expect during the elections, while seeking their utmost support.
GNA