The Ghana Police Service has assured media personnel of their safety in the general elections to be held in 2024. In a statement released on Tuesday, police stated their commitment to securing the safety of all journalists working on election coverage and repeated their determination to support the exercise of press freedom with the smooth operation of media teams across the country.
This assurance was against the backdrop of increasing concern for the safety of journalists during election periods, due to heightened tensions amidst the possibilities of conflict in a politically charged atmosphere. The police then assured the media that they have taken sufficient security measures to ensure that violence or harassment in any form is not perpetrated against journalists when performing their duties on election day.
"We are very conscious of the critical role of the media in the democratic process and particularly as we go into the elections, we would want to pledge that security for the media will be paramount in our minds", assured the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kofi Adomako. He underlined that throughout the country, police personnel would be deployed at strategic locations, and this would enable all journalists not to be in fear of being attacked or obstructed while discharging their services.
Besides that, police are willing to work in close liaison with media houses, election observers, and civil society organizations to guarantee a peaceful and secure environment before, during, and after the election period. Training and briefing sessions have so far been conducted for law enforcement officers, particularly on how to handle media relations and any eventualities likely to occur during election coverage.
The police further urged journalists to comply with the dictates of ethical reporting and to ensure that the atmosphere remains peaceful through accurate and responsible reporting. They warned that any persons found harassing journalists or disrupting media activities would attract severe penalties.
The forthcoming general elections in Ghana in 2024 are expected to be a fiercely contested affair, and the media would be at the forefront of coverage. In this regard, guarantees on security imply that journalists will go about their core responsibilities of prudent and timely coverage of the election process to enrich Ghana's democratic integrity.
With the election date at hand, the police have called on all Ghanaians to team up in ensuring peaceful, free, and fair elections.
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