The Inspector-General of Police, James Oppong Boanuh, has urged all political parties to demonstrate before, during and after the 2020 general elections within the laws of the country.
He said this at Akropong-Akuapem in the Eastern Region when he joined The Church of Pentecost to commission the Akropong District Police Headquarters and Police Station edifice constructed by the Church at the cost of Ghc516,000.
According to him, in their bid to help maintain peace before, during and after the 2020 elections, the Police administration will put before court organizers of demonstration who go contrary to agreed routes and foment troubles.
He said the Police will be fair and firm as Ghana prepares to vote in December to elect a President and Parliamentarians.
“We know that citizens have rights but the rights must be exercised in accordance with the law. Therefore you have the right to demonstrate but you don’t have the right to block the road so that other road users cannot use it. That is why we sit down with organizers of demonstration to map up routes therefore if we give you route ” A” we expect that you follow route A if you decide to use route “B” and create a problem we will make sure we meet you in Court”. He said.
He assured Ghanaians that, the police in collaboration with other security services will do everything possible to ensure that their duties are performed in a way that does not favour anybody.
The IGP then commended the leadership of the Church of Pentecost for their unflinching support and has cited an ambulance recently donated to the service by the Church.
The General Secretary of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi Larbi Jnr who spoke on behalf of the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost Apostle Eric Nyamekye at the commissioning said the project is part of three district police stations, five correctional centers among others the Church is constructing under its Security-Based development project dubbed “Police Station & Post Project (PSPP) as captured in Vision 2023 Policy Document of the Church.
He called for collective efforts to combat bribery and corruption in the country.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfuor also said though the government is committed to providing logistics to the Security services, it is commanding for other organizations to also complement government efforts to ensure that challenges facing the Police service are addressed to maximize efficiency.
Sod-cutting for the one storey building facility was performed by the Church joined by then IGP David Asante Apeatu on April 26, 2019. The construction started in June 2019. The Project was redesigned and upgraded to District Headquarters status from the initial plan of a station following an appeal by the IGP.
Source: Sylvester Ntim
