He said the deployment of military men to polling stations will scare away thugs and hoodlums from fomenting any trouble.
Nana Obiri Boahen stated that contrary to popular opinion that the presence of military men will intimidate people, it will rather allay the fears of Ghanaians that there will be electoral violence on December 7.
Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Monday, Mr. Obiri Boahene said soldiers will be able to ‘calm nerves’ on election day.
“People who think deploying soldiers will not help, they are at liberty to leave the country. If you don’t have a hidden agenda, why do you fear soldiers? I’ve been with the system and I’m saying that when you bring in the soldiers, they’re able to calm nerves."
“I’m highly impressed because I’ve been with the system since 1992 and this time around if one will be honest, I’m highly impressed with the EC and its officials. We are fed up with people who don’t want to hear the names of soldiers. It’s only people with a hidden agenda who are afraid of soldiers.”
Last week, the Inspector General of Police briefed Ghanaians on the preparedness of the security services for the election.
He said some 62,794 security personnel will be deployed across the country towards ensuring security in the upcoming December 7 elections.
The personnel, according to James Oppong-Boanuh will be from the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, and the Ghana Immigration and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Speaking at the press briefing in Accra, the IGP said personnel will adopt a four tier approach of policing ballots at all 33,367 polling stations and 275 collation centres.
“All the personnel I have mentioned will be in their regular uniforms with the exception of officers from the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police Service and the Bureau of National Investigations who will remain invisible,” the IGP indicated.