The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has criticized the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Bismarck Kwasi Onwona, for his recent comment about whose responsibility it is to ensure a calm environment during elections.

Speaking at a programme in Kumasi last month, Major General Onwona stated that the military has a greater responsibility to ensure a free, fair, and transparent election and entreated military commanders at all levels to ensure that truce plays under their charge.

“We are in an election year and much will be expected of each and every one of us. We have a greater responsibility to ensure a free, fair and transparent election by performing our duties professionally at all times,” said the Chief of Army Staff.

But in an interview on Inside Politics on TV XYZ, Asiedu Nketia condemned the comment and said whoever said that needs to go back to the military training school to learn the duties of the military.

“He should go back to training school again; he should go and read the constitution. The work of the military is to fight Ghana’s external enemies. Is he trying to say that Ghanaian voters are enemies of the state?” he said.

According to the astute politician, the military has no responsibility for manning election centres except for officials of the Ghana Police Service, stressing that they are the institution mandated by the laws of the country to maintain law and order in the country including elections.

“Ensuring free and fair elections is the responsibility of the police. When the police are overwhelmed during elections, that is when they call for the military to support, even with that the military will be working under the orders of the police.

“We will not allow the military to come to election centres to take over security and end up shooting innocent voters and other Ghanaians as they did in 2020...anyone who has a contrary view should come and challenge me,” he added.

Asiedu Nketiah was emphatic that the NDC will not sit aloof for the military to take over polling stations on election day and intimidate electorates and cause chaos.