Polling Stations Need Operations Perimeter - Bureau Of Public Safety

The Bureau of Public Safety has cautioned the Electoral Commission and the nation's security agencies to create an operations perimeter at all 26,000 polling stations beyond which members of the public must be subjected to thorough body search. According to the Bureau, mechanisms need to be "instituted that will discourage unsuspecting voters and citizens from carrying offensive items to the polling stations and also clear the stations of all visible weapons of opportunity. In a press statement signed by the Bureau's Executive Director, Davidson Akwada, the group said it "would like to remind all citizens who fall within the Police department's identified flash points to as a matter of precaution, procure and store some food supplies and avoid all forms of visible association or identifying with any political parties or activities nearing Election Day." Below is the full statement from the Bureau of Public Safety CITIZEN'S ALERT ON ELECTION DAY The Bureau Of Public Safety wish to call on the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Security Agencies (SA) to work closely and seamlessly to ensure that this year's General Elections passes off without any significant fall-outs regarding the safety and security of voters and law abiding citizens. While we trust in the ability of the Security Agencies to contain any mishaps, we do not expect any significant security challenges. Nonetheless we wish to encourage voters to consider their personal safety as priority and therefore must endeavor to vacate polling stations after casting their ballots and may return at the close of ballot to witness the counting. We wish to call on the both the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Security Agencies(SA), that with just four days to elections they put in place mechanisms that will discourage unsuspecting voters and citizens from carrying offensive items to the polling stations and also clear the stations of all visible weapons of opportunity. We further wish to advise that the EC and SA create an operations perimeter beyond which members of the public must be subjected to thorough body search. Furthermore we would like to remind all citizens who fall within the Police department's identified flash points to as a matter of precaution, procure and store some food supplies and avoid all forms of visible association or identifying with any political parties or activities nearing Election Day. The Bureau trusts that peace before, during and after this year's general election is a collective responsibility involving the vigilance and cooperation of all involved. We pray and hope that once again Ghana shall come through this year's elections with an improved public safety record. Davidson Akwada Executive Director