Assistant
Commissioner of Police (ACP), Kwasi Ofori, has advised fans to avail themselves
for rigorous checks in and around the Accra Sports Stadium tomorrow as Accra
Hearts of Oak welcome Kumasi Asante Kotoko in the semi-finals of the Tier 1 of
the Normalization Committee (NC) Special Competition.
According to ACP Ofori, with the growing sub-regional security threats, it has become necessary that each and every one including vehicles that would throng the stadium on Sunday, were subjected to serious and well detailed scan before entering the stadium.
Speaking at a stake holders meeting held at the Accra Sports Stadium, he said the security of the country remains paramount to the security forces, especially the police, so they would go at any length in making sure fans enjoy the game in a peaceful atmosphere.
“We are going to deploy a minimum of 300 police personnel to the stadium on that day including all the units, where everybody would go through a body check, detector scans.
“There is also going to be a search for weapons with our metal detectors and search for banned substances at vantage points in and around the stadium as well as cars that would be coming to a range at the stadium”.
According to him, fans that would be coming with the aim of committing crimes should not make any attempt as they would face the full rigors of the law.
Professor Peter Twumasi, Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), who was part of the meeting together with officials from the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), National Security, the Ambulance Service, Fire Service and some other stake holders, said the May 9 disaster that claimed over 127 lives in 2001, should never repeat itself and he was happy the security forces have teamed up to make sure there was going to be an incident free game.
He said the idea of having some BNI, National Security Personnel and the police in the stands with supporters would help avert crime and hooliganism.
“This meeting has ironed out some important things worth noting and I must commend the team here for such a great insight as to what would be done.
“We have always said the May 9 incident should be a thing of the past and with the pragmatic approach you have taken, we would go a long way to eradicate such vices in our football”.
The match would also have over 50 military personnel, over three hundred police personnel, over 40 MTTD Personnel, as well as many officers from the Fire Service, National Ambulance Team, Red Cross, Saint John’s Ambulance, National Security and the BNI.
Meanwhile the public and motorists are to note that traffic would be closed at the Osu Cemetery end of the stadium as well as the Ministries road, with only accredited vehicles getting access into the stadium.
–GNA
