Security in Mock Drill (Front Page) November 17, 2008

Story:Michael Donkor
A TWO-DAY joint Military /Police exercise aimed at testing the preparedness of the security agencies to handle any election-related crises on December 7 began in Accra on Saturday night.
During the exercise, an imaginary scenario was created and staged at four polling stations at the North Kaneshie 1 and 2 Primary School area and Bubiashie Seventh Day Adventist Church.
It enacted a scene where some machomen seized ballot boxes from those polling stations and attempted to take them away after the electorate had finished casting their votes.
A joint Military/Police task force was called in and it immediately rushed to the scene, and prevented the machomen from taking the boxes away.
The machomen were subsequently over-powered and arrested.
In another scenario, the vehicle carrying the boxes broke down and a group of people pounced on the officials of the Electoral Commission, seized the boxes and were about to take them away when the task force was called in to arrest the situation.
After the exercise, the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP James Oppong Bonuah, described it as highly successful.
He said the public co-operated with the task force, which made its members to achieve the aim of the exercise.
He said all the scenario’s were executed smoothly without any problems or impediments.
Addressing security agents in the Ashanti Region, made up of the military, the police, the immigration, the prisons, the CEPS and the fire service, who took part in the joint operation, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwaku Ayensu Opare-Addo, noted that the security apparatus had the duty to prevent potential troublemakers from creating anarchy before, during and after the December election, reports George Ernest Asare.
He noted that they also had the responsibility to win the confidence of the electorate by defusing tension likely to cause fear.
"There is the need to exhibit the highest sense of professionalism and transparency in the discharge of our responsibility, as well as being fair and firm to enable the election to be held in an atmosphere of peace," he noted.
DCOP Opare-Addo said it was equally important for the security apparatus to be diligent in their operations, stressing, "if some people want to destroy the nation to achieve their selfish interest, it is our responsibility to fish them out and make them face the full rigours of the law without any fear or favour".
The Officer Commanding the 4BN, Major Richard Amponsem Boateng, said it was the duty of the military to join hands with the police and other security agencies to maintain internal peace at all times.
The Regional Electoral Officer, Mr Kofi Asomanin, urged the security apparatus to manage the electoral process in a way that would make the electorate elect their leaders legitimately.
He pointed out that by creating a peaceful environment, the electorate would be motivated to cast their votes in their numbers.
He said it was equally important for them to give the polling officers, as well as the ballot boxes and all materials needed for the conduct of the election, adequate security.
From Koforidua, Nana Konadu Agyeman reports that a number of security personnel drawn from the Eastern Region, as well as the First Battalion of Infantry, took part in the mock drill. The exercise, which would last 48 hours, is being led by DCOP George Anko-Bill, the Eastern Regional Police Commander.
The exercise, joined by the chairmen of the regional and district Task Force Committees, was undertaken at polling stations at Housing Corporation Polling Centre at Adweso, Legion Hall Polling Centre and a polling station at Koforidua Zongo.
It was used to demonstrate and test the preparedness of the security forces to curb any violence during the conduct of the elections in the Eastern Region.