When elections get close in Ghana tension builds up to the extent that one is tempted to draw certain conclusions. The misunderstanding between the Electoral Commission (EC) and other political parties in the country, especially, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), is already an issue bothering political watchers and well-meaning Ghanaians. As if that is not enough, the Ghana Police Service has also made a statement, which appears to have worsened the situation.
Myjoyonline, on Sunday, published a story under the headline; “5,000 Election Flash Points Identified.” According to the story, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Cephas Arthur, has revealed that the 2016 National Elections and Security Task Force has identified 5,000 election flash points in the country.
He, however, added that the Police Service is putting in place measures to ensure that the flash points did not pose any risk, as the country heads towards the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Supt. Cephas Arthur added that they are aware of heightened tension before, during and after the polls, but they are hopeful that people will comport themselves.
Explaining that flashpoints are areas notorious for acts of violence, the police spokesperson said: “Usually, such places record violence, acts of vandalism, and disturbances of public peace as a result of elections and other social activities.
“These are the places we have tagged as flashpoints. We have identified 5,000 places across the country. It calls for concern. We won’t say it is a worrying situation. It calls for focusing of attention,” he stated.
The Chronicle agrees with the Cephas Arthur that the development calls for the concern of all Ghanaians. To us, it is clear that the country is sitting on a time bomb, though the police spokesman diplomatically refused to admit it. We pride ourselves as being peaceful people, but we need to be cautious about the exposé by the police, which development could ignite fire with a little spark.
That is why The Chronicle is urging the security services to be more alert than they have ever been to douse all the raging flames before they gather venom and consume all of us.
The rapid response units of the Ghana Police Service must be put on the red alert to bring under control any burning inferno that rears its ugly head. With the experience of Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone still fresh in our minds, we should all be on the lookout.
should be re-examined, because it took a dispute over the price of a guinea fowl to ignite the flames that consumed the whole of the Northern Region some years ago. Whilst calling on the security agencies to be up and doing, we are equally advising our politicians to the mindful of their utterances.
This is the only way we can all help to put Ghana together after December The notion that Ghana is a peaceful country, and, therefore, we cannot go to war,