Ghana Police condemns ‘exclusion of military in elections’ comment by DCOP Waabu

The Ghana Police Service has disassociated itself from comments made by DCOP Gabriel Prince Waabu on security for the 2024 elections.

DCOP Waabu on Monday, February 19, 2024, said the police will exclude the military from the provision of security for the elections during a panel discussion on JoyNews.

“We’re not maybe going to involve the military, as it were, because it was not even the police that came out with this issue. So, it’s going to be only the Police, the Prisons, Fire and then Immigration that are going to conduct this election. They are going to support us; it is our baby. It’s a clear-cut issue. Every internal issue is the police duty, and that is for sure in place,” he said.

However, according to the Police Service, DCOP Waabu’s comments are unfounded and do not represent the position of the Ghana Police Service.

In a statement, the Ghana Police said that under the National Elections Security Taskforce Architecture, the Ghana Police Service works with all other security services including the Ghana Armed Forces to ensure peace, security, law and order, before, during and after elections.

It added that the approach to the 2024 General elections will be no different.

“We would therefore like to disassociate the Ghana Police Service completely from the statements and apologize to the Ghana Armed Forces,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the conduct of the officer is being subjected to internal disciplinary processes of the Ghana Police Service.

Below is the full statement from the police