Superintendent David Azumah, Bole District Police Commander has charged political parties to preach peace and development in the run-up to the December 7 general elections.
He explained that peace was the panacea for development therefore there could be no meaningful development without an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.
The District Commander was speaking at a peace campaign forum organized by the Bole District National Youth Authority on Tuesday, October 10, 2020.
The forum was aimed at offering key stakeholders in politics the opportunity to engage the citizenry on the need to maintain national peace and cohesion before, during, and after the December 7 polls.
Supt. Azumah, asked politicians to educate their supporters to desist from acts of violence as the election campaign was only a platform to share ideas to enhance the country’s development.
It was important for political actors not to support people who engaged in acts to destabilize the country, instead, he said, they should ensure that such persons were punished to serve as a deterrent to others.
He announced that the police had identified 21 hotspots in the area and have prepared adequately to avert any violence.
“As a security institution, we are prepared for the worst scenarios. We have instituted proactive measures to ensure violence-free elections,” he said.
He, therefore, warned persons who would want to foment trouble before, during, or after the polls that the police would deal with them without fear or favour.
“The peace of the nation will be intact. We will go to the polls and come out in one peace but not in pieces.”, he added.
Very Rev. Philip Mintah, Head Pastor of the Methodist Church, Bole, also used the opportunity to advise the youth not to allow politicians to use them to forment trouble before, during and after the elections.
The Pastor again advised the media to be decorous in their reportage of events as he said that one misreported event can jeopardize the peace that Ghana is currently enjoying.
Other speakers including political party representatives, religious leaders and the general public took turns to address the gathering who asked pertinent questions bothering their minds.
Source: yagbonradioonline/Issah Zakaria
