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Closing of
borders during elections is in national interest-Dzamesi
Dzodze, Dec 24 Ghanadot/GNA-Mr. Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional
Minister on Wednesday said the trend to close borders during
general elections in the country had been found to be in the
interest of the country.
He said it was the same consideration- to ensure peace and
security in the country- which necessitated the order to
seal certain borders, just before and during the recent
general elections on December 7, this year.
Mr Dzamesi told a press conference at Dzodze, in the Ketu-North
District that Ghanaians and people of the Volta Region in
particular should, therefore, not be surprised if the found
the Ghana/Togo border again closed before and during the
coming December 28 runoff.
Mr Dzamesi, flanked by Mr Justice Cudjoe, Ketu-South
District Chief Executive however stopped short of saying
that a decision had already been taken by government to
close borders for the runoff.
Mr Dzamesi, who is Chairman of the Volta Regional Security
Council (REGSEC) said the borders to be closed were based on
appraisals of security reports.
That is why he explained the Aflao border could be closed
while others in the certain other parts of the country would
remain open.
He said individuals and groups particularly the Volta
Regional House of Chiefs who slammed the recent closures as
discriminatory did so because they were not abreast with the
security details.
Mr Dzamesi said the peaceful nature of the December 7
elections was due to measures by government, including
border closures, noting that government had the singular
responsibility to ensure total peace at all times.
He said decisions to close the Ghana-Togo border during
elections had antecedents going past the period of NPP rule
and so not a new phenomenon.
Mr Dzamesi said the praises being sounded on Ghana and
President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration as being
peaceful and democratic came about because the
administration worked for it and assured Ghanaians that the
coming presidential runoff would run peacefully.
He said the arrest of the Nigerian, Oforkansi Martins with
34 guns of various makes and 2,000 cartridges, could have
certain security implications for the country.
The Minister said complaints that the frontier should only
be closed after a 48-hour notice was not feasible as
security decisions “were taken as and when they were
necessary”.
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