The NPP says the inability of Ghana’s security services to provide adequate security in the just ended Atiwa by-election must be of grave concern to everybody. A statement issued in Accra by the party says "We saw the same security failures in the Akwatia by-elections. We saw the same in Chereponi. And now, we have seen the same in Atiwa. "In all three by-elections under this administration, armed policemen looked on unconcerned while organised thugs wielding arms and other dangerous weapons attacked innocent people at will. "The persistent excuse given by such well armed but indifferent security personnel that they are unable to act because they have not received instruction to do so is, to say the least, ridiculous! What is the use of security presence if the personnel would look on unconcerned while armed thugs assault innocent voters and scare off others? "The recurring failure of state security to protect these by-elections poses frightening threat to our democracy. The President, the Minister for Interior and the Inspector General of Police ought to explain this failure. "The New Patriotic Party believes that what appears to be security lapses are indeed a deliberate strategy to intimidate political opponents and give electoral advantage to the ruling NDC. The NPP does not rule out the complicity of senior elements in our security forces. It is obvious that police personnel sent to election premises are instructed not to act without specific command from above while thugs are encourage to intimidate political opponents and their sympathisers. "Unless this threatening development is sincerely and boldly addressed by government, the country stands the danger of violent elections in 2012 when 230 constituencies (not one constituency) will need state security. The implications of such negative signal even ahead of 2012 for the economy and the country as a whole are obvious. "We call on the government to explain these security failures and the measures being taken to ensure that they will not happen again." Sign: Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie General Secretary