Dec Polls: Airforce helicopter deploys electoral materials at Afram Plains

Ghana Airforce Military helicopter GHF C90 onboard with eight(8) crew members led by pilot  Squadron Leader Boakye from Airforce Base Accra landed at Donkokrom, the district capital of Kwahu Afram Plains North on Saturday, December 5, 2020, at about 2:20 pm for distribution of electoral materials.

Aside from the deployment of electoral materials, the helicopter will also be used to airlift electoral Officers and security personnel to island communities on both Afram Plains South and North constituencies early morning of Monday.

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The arrival of the helicopter is in response to Eastern Regional Police Command’s proposal for the provision the aircraft to airlift security personnel and electoral materials to Island Communities in the Kwahu Afram Plains area during the elections on December 7.

Kwahu Afram Plains North and South have about 87 polling stations on the Island Communities. Security personnel and Electoral Commission officials are ferried for hours to the communities during elections.

The situation always delays the electoral processes on the Island Communities.

The Eastern Regional Police Commander DCOP Edward Johnson Akrofi -Oyirifi-told Starr News Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah on November 3, 2020, that, the Command tabled a request for lifejackets and helicopter to facilitate its operations in Afram Plains Area and safeguard lives of its officers on the river during the election.

“The request that the region has made because it was observed that, at times there will be delays in the conveyance of election materials and transportation of security personnel who are supposed to police the various polling stations so because they are Islands as you rightly said, Personnel will have to be ferried so we have requested for lifejackets for their use and if possible for helicopter services to transport the materials. That is the request that we are hoping that such arrangements will be made for the smooth conduct of the election in those areas” DCOP Oyirifi- Akrofi said.

On general preparation towards the election, he stated that the Regional Police Command is prepared to provide adequate security to voters in 3,704 polling stations including 891 flashpoints identified. According to him, numerous training and capacity building programs have been rolled out for the personnel in the region on election security management.

“The region has about 3,704 polling stations and 891 flashpoints which we have identified in close collaboration with Electoral Commission so we are going to give extra focus to this flashpoints so nothing untoward happens during the election day”

He urged all stakeholders to collaborate with the election security taskforce to ensure smooth and peaceful elections.

Meanwhile, the Regional Election Taskforce has on Saturday, December 5, 2020 deployed security personnel to the various polling stations across the country .

Source: StarrFm.com