Masked men deployed to build voter confidence – NSC Director of Operations

General News of Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-02-20

Colonel Michael Opoku, director of operations of the National Security Council, said the masked men who were in the polling booths at the Ayawaso by-election were deployed as part of the campaign. an operation to build trust.

He added that the presence of the staff was intended to badure voters that they were ready to foil the plans of any self-defense group to disrupt the elections.

"The goal was to provide the necessary monitoring for me. Most of those watching were wearing normal civilian clothes. The essence of that [confidence] the patrol had to inform the residents of the constituency that the security forces were ready to ensure that no group of security guards, as we know, could disrupt the elections that day. So we trusted the people to make sure they came forward and do what they are supposed to do, "said Colonel Opoku.

The presence of masked men, members of a national security team deployed in the constituency of Ayawaso West Wuogon, became a subject of controversy as a result of acts of violence and violence. 39 Physical badaults they inflicted on citizens close to the National Democratic Congress headquarters. (NDC) parliamentary candidate.

Many civil society organizations and political actors have condemned the presence of masked men, some attributing it to low turnout, claiming that their presence frightened the locals.

But Colonel Michael Opoku, who deployed the staff, thinks the presence of these men frightened the voters.

He also said that staff members were masked to protect their identities because they lived in the constituency where they had been deployed to carry out the operation.

While it corroborated the testimony of the SWAT National Security Commander, DSP Samuel Azugu, claiming that staff sometimes wore masks to prevent mosquito bites, Col Opoku said that the purpose of the masks of the Ayawaso by-election was not to prevent mosquito bites.

Instead, they had to protect the identity of the team that lives in the community.