IGP Dampare assures Ghanaians of robust security plan for 2024 elections

The Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, who also serves as the Chairman of the National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF), has assured Ghanaians of a comprehensive and enduring security plan to ensure peaceful, free, and fair elections on 7th December 2024.

Speaking at a high-level meeting held at the Police Headquarters with the leadership of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), on Tuesday, 19th November 2024, the IGP highlighted the extensive measures put in place to safeguard law and order before, during, and after the polls.

Welcoming stakeholders, the IGP emphasized the critical role of trust and collaboration in achieving a peaceful electoral process. He revealed that the security plan for the 2024 General Elections is the result of two years of meticulous preparation. Described as a blueprint for election security, the first of its kind in the history of Ghana, this comprehensive framework is designed to not only address immediate needs but also serve as a standard for the next three decades.

“This blueprint will be the standard security plan for elections now and beyond, with an enduring 30 years from now in mind,” he stated, adding that the same strategy had driven the success of recent by-elections and internal political party elections, with support from stakeholders and the good of Ghana.

The IGP further disclosed that the operational aspects of the plan have already been disseminated nationwide. “As we speak, the aspect of the blueprint that relates to the 7th December 2024 elections has so far been distributed across the country, and officers are going through to know where they will be deployed during the elections,” he explained.

Acknowledging challenges faced in past elections, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare highlighted the critical role of collation centres in the electoral process. “We have also realized that most of the challenges during elections come from the collation centres,” he said. To address this, the National Elections Security Taskforce has been working closely with the Electoral Commission to ensure all collation centres earmarked for the 2024 general elections meet strict security standards and are equipped to support an orderly process.

The Inspector-General of Police reiterated the importance of public confidence in the security forces ahead of the general elections. He urged stakeholders and the media to disseminate the message of assurance to Ghanaians to build trust in the system’s ability to deliver a peaceful election to safeguard Ghana’s continuous democratic success.