The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has condemned the pockets of violence recorded during the just-ended voter registration exercise.

Delivering his 15th national address on Ghana’s fight against COVID-19, he described those incidents as “regrettable,” despite claiming that they were “isolated incidents” within the largely successful exercise.

Akufo-Addo said the Police Service must deal decisively with those involved in the violence.

“By the grace of God, the work of the Electoral Commission, and the effective measures put in place by the government, these prophecies of doom did not materialize. There were, nonetheless, deeply regrettable, isolated incidents of violence, which I condemn unreservedly, and which I expect the Police to deal with without fear or favour, but the exercise was generally peaceful,” he said.

The President further mocked persons who had kicked against the plan to compile a new register.

He said some of them “who swore heaven and earth to resist the compilation of the register at the peril of their lives, ended up registering.”

“There were also those who offered delicate, personal sacrifices in the event of the register, again, ending up registering. And, there were those who claimed that, in the midst of a pandemic, the registration exercise should not be conducted, with some warning of an “explosion” in our case count and very high numbers of deaths, should the exercise go ahead,” Nana Addo added.

Nana Addo, also said he is extremely happy over the ‘orderly and safe’ conduct of the registration contrary to widespread condemnation of the exercise over claims it will lead to a surge in the number of infections and deaths.

“The Electoral Commission has completed the successful compilation of a new register ahead of the conduct of the 2020 general election. On behalf of the people of Ghana, I congratulate warmly, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Ms. Jean Mensa, her two deputies, Dr. Eric Bossman Asare and Mr. Samuel Tetteh and the entire commission for their efficient, safe and transparent nature of the registration exercise”, he said.