The Tema Police Command accompanied by sister security agencies on Thursday embarked on “Exercise Tafia Lafia” to show its preparedness for the December 7 general election.
The six-hour exercise saw personnel from the Police, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana National Fire Service, Immigration Service, Prisons Service, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, National Intelligence Bureau, and the National Ambulance Service turn out smartly in their various uniforms and protective gears.
Media personnel and officials of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) also participated in the exercise.
The march led by a number of dispatch riders saw the display of several special vehicles, fire tenders, weapons, and others.
The participants started the march from the Mandela Park at Ashaiman and passed through Michel Camp, Gbetsele, Afienya, Dahwenya, Tsopoli, Ningo, Prampram, Kpone, Tema and ended at the Eastern Naval Base.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Barima Tweneboa Sasraku II, Tema Police Regional Commander, addressing the officers after the march, said the exercise was not to intimidate the public but rather to give assurance of their preparedness to protect them and deliver a peaceful election.
DCOP Sasraku said “we are paid to protect the people no matter where they are and we are prepared to do so, we want to show them that we will be working together, therefore they must collaborate with us”, adding however that “those who decide to engage in illegality will be dealt with severely according to the laws of the country”.
Commodore Emmanuel A. Kwafo, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Eastern Naval Command, told the Ghana News Agency that the march was being used by the officers to re-assure the public that the Security Services were prepared to provide the needed protection for peaceful elections.
Commodore Kwafo added that it was also to encourage civilians to cooperate with the security services and support their fight for peace as depicted in the name of the exercise “Tafia Lafia”, translated as peace and calmness.
He added that the election was all about fulfilling a constitutional mandate, and therefore Ghanaians needed to contribute their quota in achieving the needed peace.
He indicated that violence in any shape or form would not help anyone and therefore appealed to the general public to work towards maintaining peace before, during, and after the December 7, 2020 general election and all shall be well with us.
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