The Minister of Interior, Mr. William Kwasi Aboah, on Wednesday charged the security agencies to act professionally, remain impartial and demonstrate integrity in the discharge of their duties before, during and after the elections.

He entreated the men in uniform to recognize that they owed allegiance to the state and not to any political party, and therefore, they should remain neutral in order to anchor the tenets of professionalism, impartiality and integrity.

Mr. Aboah gave the advice during an interaction with the various security agencies in the Western Region in Takoradi, to acquaint himself with their preparedness for the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

The minster’s maiden visit to the region was also aimed at boosting the morale of security personnel and enabling him to acquaint himself with the challenges confronting them in the discharge of their duties.

Mr. Aboah assured the security agencies that his ministry would provide the necessary logistics for them to discharge their mandate, adding that “As the leading agencies and custodians of internal security, you have significantly contributed to anchor democratic governance in this country.

“I am, therefore, convinced that with the level of professionalism exhibited so far, your Constitutional mandate of maintaining law and order would be displayed to the latter to ensure a peaceful election come December 7, 2012”, he said.

The minister, however, expressed dismay over recent involvement of some security personnel in narcotics, armed robbery and extortion of money from civilians, describing such unprofessional conduct that had dragged the reputation of the service into disrepute as untenable.

Mr. Aboah applauded the government for providing the various security agencies with resources to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness, adding that a number of strategic and technical training programmes had been organized to build the capacity of security personnel.

He entreated leaders of the various political parties, civil society organizations, the clergy, traditional authorities, the media and all stakeholders to educate and advice their sympathizers to avoid acts of violence that could plunge the country into chaos.

In his welcome address, the Western Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Ransford Moses Ninson, pledged the commitment of the Command to ensure peace and harmony before, during and after the elections in the Region.

The security agencies were drawn from the Police Service, Immigration Service, Prison Service, Customs Execise and Preventive Service who were also given the platform to ask questions and express their concerns.