DCOP Maxwell Atingane (8th left) in a group photograph with members of the Tema Joint Security Task Force shortly after it was inaugurated.
THE TEMA Police Regional Commander has inaugurated the region?s joint electoral security taskforce at a short but impressive ceremony at the forecourt of the Regional Command.
Inaugurating the 36-member electoral security taskforce, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Maxwell S. Atingane, Tema Regional Police Commander noted that members of the taskforce were drawn from all the security agencies and were expected to play key roles in ensuring that there was peace before, during and after the December 2012 polls.
Members are drawn from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Navy, Customs Exercise and Preventive Service and Ghana National Fire Service. Others are Ghana Immigration Service, Bureau of National Investigation, National Security and other government organizations such as National Commission for Civic Education, Information Service and the Electoral Commission.
He continued that as the country gets ready to hold its general elections, there was the need for the security officers from the respective agencies and other supporting government agencies to come together to brain storm and strategize so as to enable them face the task ahead. He added this was being done so that residents of Tema and its environs and the nation at large could continue to enjoy peace before, during and after December polls.
He mentioned that Tema municipality shared boundaries with Eastern region, Volta region and Greater Accra region and so his outfit collaborated and coordinated security concerns in the mentioned regions. According to him, the joint Tema Electoral Security Taskforce decentralizes the formation of Divisional and District taskforce in the municipality and its environs.
DCOP Atingane pointed out that although elections were competitive, they were supposed peaceful. However, some followers of the various political parties may go contrary to the election laws and this could spark tension and chaos.
He said it was in line with forestalling these challenges that the taskforce had identified a number of challenges which would be addressed by the respective committee members in charge of the subject area of concern.
The Regional Commander stressed the need for Ghanaians to be tolerant of each other?s views, adding that this year?s election was not different from the previous ones held.
He urged residents to take a cue from the experiences of other countries who have had their socio-economic activities ceased because of election chaos which could have been controlled. He said in such areas, women and children who were always innocent turned out to be the victims.
?In our resolve to provide adequate security for a smooth electoral process, a number of flashpoints have been identified,? DCOP Atingane remarked and mentioned the areas and number of flashpoints as Ashaiman 20, Tema Community 1 (Tema East) 7, Community 2 & 11 (Tema West) 4, New Town (Tema East) 5, Sakumono (Tema West) 8.
He mentioned other areas and the number of flashpoints identified as Prampram (Ningo-Prampram) 8, Dodowa (Shai-Osudoku) 2, Kpone (Kpone-Katamanso) 1 and Ada (Ada) 7 bringing the total number of flash points within the metropolis to 62.
DCOP Atingane noted that there were eight constituencies and 468 polling stations in the Tema municipality, and that the formation of the taskforce was in line with ensuring that elections were held at these polling stations without any chaos.
He announced that his outfit had created political investigation desks at regional, divisional and district level to investigate political offences and prosecute if the need be.
Concluding he stated that security issues should not be perceived as the duty of security agencies alone, rather if the public and the security agencies worked together, the nation would go through this year?s general elections without any chaos.
From Razak Mardorgyz Abubakar, Tema
