Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia are President-Elect and Vice President-Elect respectively and should be treated as such by all means.
We have taken note of how the security around them built up rather slowly after the winner of the Presidential election was announced. Eventually though, the law enforcement agents took full control of the President-Elect’s personal and residential security but rather chaotically in the initial days. Cops from outside Nima sought to pitch camp there without coordination when it was the Nima Police Command which moved in first to provide security.
As for the Vice President-Elect’s residence it took longer for him to have a full complement of law enforcement personnel.
We have especially taken note of how the Nima Divisional and District Commanders, not forgetting the Chief Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, have continued to keep an eye over the security arrangements around the First and Second Gentlemen-Elect as the days elapsed.
We are unhappy, however, about how the line between the campaign season and the period after the declaration of the winner is not properly defined for the sake of security. The result has been people jostling rather recklessly to shake hands with the two personalities and their residences almost taken over by so many well wishers in a manner that could compromise security.
It is a challenging subject. Politicians who suddenly get power having being voted by the people would not want to offend supporters eager to shake hands with them. They must be protected against possible security threats by law enforcement agents who must apply the basic rules of managing the security of VVIPs.
Those who are charged with managing the security of such top personalities must be both gentle and tough with those who come too close to the persons they are required to protect.
Unfortunately there are many who would not understand the task bestowed upon such security persons as they surge forward to catch the glimpse of the President-Elect and the Vice President-Elect.
We have suddenly witnessed the arrival of unknown persons at residences of the President-elect and the Vice-President-Elect in their bid to establish contacts at this stage. These are persons unknown to the campaign machinery: their motive being opportunistic.
It would be necessary for the internal security personnel of the two personalities to join hands with the state-provided law enforcement agents to avoid consequences.
We must not take the security of the two persons and their families for granted. Our society does not share the traits of countries in the other hemisphere where law enforcement agents are totally apolitical.
That is why law enforcement agents who are deployed to such persons must have their backgrounds checked sufficiently.
Some law enforcement agents, we are aware, could not conceal their partisanship before the elections. Some of them, it has been said, donned the ruling party T-shirts and cannot be counted upon to discharge their duties without breaches and possible consequences.
The picture of uniformed persons descending upon the NPP headquarters and carrying out their mission is still fresh in our memories. Nothing has come out of the so-called probe into the case.
Let’s be wary about the security lapses as these could be dangerous.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.