More than 300 multi-agency security officers, drawn from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Ghana Ambulance Service, among others, have been trained to prevent and counter electoral violence in the northern part of Ghana.
The officers underwent a four-week intensive training at the Security Resilience and Peace Building Training and Education Center (SRAPBTEC) at Nangodi in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region and were taken through operational planning, weapon handling, and community engagement techniques, among others.
It was aimed at enhancing their capacity and resilience to handle complex electoral violence and other related conflicts while ensuring stronger cooperation among the security services.
The training formed part of a Joint Services Pre-Election Training being supported by the UK government.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Raymond Wejong Ali Adofiem, the Upper East Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, indicated
that the training of the officers further beefed up their preparedness to ensuring peace before, during, and after the 2024 election.
‘This training is showcasing what we are prepared to prevent and do together as security agencies, to ensure peace, law and order before, during, and after the 2024 election so that we can continue our nation-building,’ he stated.
He dismissed assertions by a cross section of the citizens that Ghana was not under any security attack just because of luck.
‘You will hear people say Ghana has been lucky not to have experienced any attack; we those that have been in the security service for years will tell you that is untrue. Ghana has been prepared; that is why we have not been attacked because those who do those negative things don’t just go where they want; they go where they can,’ he emphasized.
He said Ghana over the years had ensured strong multi-agency cooperation and a common understanding of sharing ideas regarding the threats while learning from the experience of thos
e who had been attacked and other best practices in the advanced world, to ensure the country was protected.
Reverend Father Clement Aapengnuo, the Team leader of CONGINTA-Ghana, a non-government organization, and guest of honor of the occasion, urged the officers not to be discouraged by the criticisms from the public, as it would help them identify their mistakes and build on them.
He reiterated that security was a collective responsibility and called on the public to assist the security agencies.
Mr Moses Asooh, the Talensi District Commander of the Ghana Ambulance Service and beneficiary of the training, said the training had not only well positioned him to be more professional in his duty but also be able to perform other related security functions, including gun handling.
Source: Ghana News Agency