We�re Ready �..Military Declares

The Ghana Armed Forces says it is fully on the ground, ahead of the 2012 election petition verdict. The Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces, Co. M�Bawine Atintande, who disclosed this to The Ghanaian Times in Accra, said contingency plans have been put in place to monitor events after the verdict. Under the plan, a contingent has been formed to monitor events before and after the delivery of the verdict while at the same time, the military is working closely with the police and the other security services, to avert any catastrophe. He said, �there are troops everywhere and all that is needed is to put the plan into gear.� Col Atintande said before the general elections last year, the military deployed over 5,ooo personnel who provided support to the police and the other security agencies adding �the joint operation is still in place and would continue, after the verdict. He said �the security agencies are working jointly� adding that �we have a joint operational room where personnel monitor events on the ground. Col Atintande said the security heads met at the police headquarters to discuss, among other things, security measures ahead of the election verdict. The Director of Public Affairs expressed optimistic that nothing untoward would happen, taking cognizance of the unity that existed among Ghanaians, adding that the Armed Forces was not taking chances and appealed to the public to be civil in whatever they do. �Our interest is to ensure that nothing untoward happens and we appeal to the public to be civil, especially after the verdict; there is no need to fight over a contest� he pleaded.