Cops demoralised over VVIPU placements

Scores of policemen are grumbling over their non-inclusion in the new list of personnel shortlisted for the VVIPU, a Ghana Police Service Department solely responsible for providing close protection to the Presidency and ancillary departments where utmost loyalty is a requirement.

Many of them claimed to have commenced providing the special service at various locations such as the Flagstaff House and the residences of very important government functionaries until it was detected that some of them performed similar functions in the erstwhile political administration and so their loyalty cannot be vouched for.

It would be recalled that shortly after the declaration of the victor in the December polls, there was a rush to perform protection duties at the residences of the then President and Vice President-elect by police officers, who were not aligned to the former ruling party and government.

Some of these cops risked their careers and initially protected the residence of the then flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) when the house came under the attack of NDC supporters when their commanders could not take a decision as to what to do.

One of them, who for obvious reasons pleaded anonymity said, “Had the NDC won some of us would have had to consider resigning or prepare to endure victimization from NDC aligned superiors.”

Many of the sulking police officers were actually engaged for the special duties and even commenced the related two-week training at the Police Depot until the discovery that the selection process was compromised.

It was the decision to re-do the process which resulted in people with special interests pushing in their favourites, resulting in the not-perfect outcome that prompted this story.

It is being rumoured that there are cops who have been brought in from other parts of the country who are really not interested in the geographical movement and would have rather been allowed to stay in their previous locations.

One police officer has expressed dismay about the inclusion of a certain Ins Karimu Mahama of the N/SWAT, a bodyguard of the immediate-past IGP John Kudalor, in the VVIPU list.

This has particularly drawn opprobrium from the aggrieved cops, one of whom reminded DAILY GUIDE about a story of the cop’s unfinished case when he reportedly killed a man he claimed burgled his car at the Kotobabi Police Station.

He is no 9 on the list of inspectors selected to proceed to the Police Depot to commence training on 8th February 2017.

If the previous list was dropped so a better assessment of prospective guards could be undertaken, then the objective has not been achieved, one of the sulking cops told DAILY GUIDE.

“Our morale has been dampened and we wonder what kind of security such persons with divided loyalty can offer sincerely,” he added.