Security agencies in the country have been urged to be proactive in the discharge of their duties efficiently in the lead to the general elections, to safeguard the peace and integrity of the nation.
“Your professional services must be irreproachable and your behaviour should inspire confidence and ensure the security of the citizenry,” said the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Reverend Charles Palmer-Buckle.
His comments followed a backlash of the police by the President, John Dramani Mahama for failing to take proactive measures to prevent a clash between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) last Sunday.
The clash occurred when supporters of the NDC clashed in front of the NPP flagbearer’s residence at Nima followed by the firing of warning shots.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle delivering a sermon at a prayer session organised by the Ghana Prisons Service in Accra yesterday for peaceful elections said that, “Ghana is our only heritage and as peace officers, we must do everything to make it the oasis of peace in the West African sub-region and the proud beacon of democracy in Africa and the world”.
He reminded security personnel not to “sit unconcerned and allow wrong to go on in the society because that is not your specialised field.
“As security services, you are never off duty and must always ensure the safety of our people,” he advised.
The Metropolitan Archbishop appealed to officers of the Prisons Service to work hard to rehabilitate and help restore prisoners to useful citizens bearing in mind that “your work is not just a job to earn a living but a mission to bring hope of which one day you will be held accountable to a higher authority”.
He urged the government, faith-based organisations and civil society organisations to support the prisons service to effectively deliver on its mandate.
The acting Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mr. Emmanuel Yao Adzator urged personnel who would be deployed to provide security at various polling stations during the elections to exhibit a high sense of professionalism.
“I take this opportunity to caution all officers to avoid all unprofessional conducts such as lateness, alcoholism, unnecessary conversations with voters and focusing attention on mobile phones instead of the ballot box. Anyone who will fall foul of these will not be spared by the administration,” he said.
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