By Robert Tachie Menson
Dormaa-Ahenkro, (Bono), Dec. 2, GNA – Security personnel on Monday denied some unaccredited media personnel assigned to cover the special voting exercise in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono Region.
They were denied entry to the voting center to cover the elections. The decision, according to the Deputy Superintendent of Police Charles Anku, the Dormaa Municipal Police Commander, was based on a directive from the Electoral Commission (EC) after the commission held a meeting with election stakeholders at Dormaa-Ahenkro prior to commencement of the special voting exercise.
“We concluded that journalists and media personnel without accreditation tags would not be allowed to provide coverage for the special voting,” he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview during a visit to the Schaefer Presbyterian Church at Dormaa-Ahenko where voting is underway.
Some of the media personnel told the GNA they were unhappy and highly disappointed about the EC’s decision because they had not received their accreditation cards from the commission.
In another interview, Mr Francis Owiredu, the Dormaa Municipal Election Officer confirmed the story, saying “we asked the security personnel on the ground to only allow only accredited media organisations entry to polling stations”.
Meanwhile voting started earnestly at the polling station exactly 0700 hours without delays. When the GNA visited the center around 0651 hours, election materials had already arrived, with the EC officials preparing the center for voting to commence.
Various political agents as well as security personnel had also arrived at the center to observe the process.
GNA