General News of Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Source: Prosper Agbenyega

Spio-Gabrah charges police to avert vigilante justice

Former presidential aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has taken on the police for not doing enough to inspire public confidence in its ability to avert violence as the ongoing biometric registration exercise move to its third phase.

More than eight million people have registered so far, according the Electoral Commission (EC).

Although the exercise has generally been peaceful, the Odododiodio constituency was particularly a hotbed of violence during the second phase of the exercise. Members of both the ruling NDC and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) accused the police of looking on unconcerned whilst their members were being victimized or assaulted in the process.

Dr Spio-Garbrah told Joy FM’s Araba Koomson in an interview that the police should be seen to be more proactive.

He said they must be firm and make it known to the people that they (the police) are in charge of security and that there is no need for anybody to take the law into their own hands.

Dr Spio Garbrah added that the police must be more visible, “particularly in areas where evidence exists that people are likely to misbehave…”**