'Govt won't shirk law enforcement responsibility'

Page 34: Daily Graphic, October 21, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, has warned that the government will not shirk its law enforcement responsibilities just because it is an election year.
He has therefore asked those who think they can breach the law and go unpunished to rethink their positions.
Nana Boahen told the Daily Graphic yesterday that some persons were of the view that because this was an election year, the government would relax in the enforcement of law and order in the country.
He said the tendency for such Ghanaians to take the law into their own hands during election years must be a thing of the past.
He said an election year did not mean that laws within a given situation should be treated with impunity.
Nana Boahen, therefore, urged the law enforcement authorities to sit up and deal with any acts of lawlessness to maintain the sanity of the country.
He said Ghana had reached a stage of its development, where Ghanaians must learn to do things right without waiting for the government or the enforcement authorities to prompt them to do the right thing.
Nana Boahen said drivers, for instance, should not think that because politicians were seeking their votes, they would throw road traffic regulations to the wind.
“In every given situation, every Ghanaian or professional must endeavour to do the right thing and not treat the law within their given areas with impunity,” he stressed.
Touching on the elections, Nana Boahen appealed to political parties, those seeking political office and their supporters to conduct their campaigns in an atmosphere of peace and serenity.
He said a campaign without rancour and intimidation would strengthen the country’s image as one of peace and tranquillity.
Nana Boahen said reports of attacks and counter-attacks of supporters of political parties were not the best.
He urged political parties to endeavour to strictly go by the provisions of the Public Order Act in relation to organising events and also abiding by other laws, especially road safety regulations, so as to not put their supporters in danger.