General News of 2013-03-05

Govt pledges more support for police

The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, has assured the Ghana Police Service of the government’s preparedness to make more investment in the service.

He said the government was determined to resource the service to enable policemen to discharge their constitutional duties effectively and efficiently for the common good.

The Vice-President was speaking at the 2012 annual West African Security Services Activities (WASSA) celebration of the Ghana Police Service in Accra Friday.

He said the government was aware of the many challenges facing the service in the performance of its duties and would ensure that all the problems were solved.

Mr Amissah-Arthur commended policemen for the professional manner in which they conducted themselves during the December 2012 general election, saying Ghana today was peaceful due to the critical role personnel of the service played towards ensuring the peaceful conduct of the general election.

He, however, reminded the service of the daunting task that lay ahead of it this year, adding that security continued to be a major challenge in the country.

He, therefore, urged the personnel of the service to be on the alert to deal with threats, which ever form they might take.

Mr Amissah-Arthur used the occasion to congratulate personnel of the service who had distinguished themselves at various levels of their operations over the last year and urged them not to be complacent and rather continue to work hard for the good of the country.

For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, said he had assumed office at a time when the Police Service was undergoing a review.

He said a footage he watched on TV that captured the Tema MTTU Commander refusing bribe from drivers indicated that a new dawn had broken for the police.

He said he was pleased with the response given by the police chief that if drivers thought they could influence policemen with money to get away with their traffic offences, then they were mistaken.

“I could not have had a better welcome than knowing that the Police Service is a reformed institution,” he said.

Mr Ahwoi pledged the government’s continuous support to the personnel to enable them to discharge their duties well.

In a welcoming address, the Director General of Welfare, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ms Mina Ayim, said no one could successfully chronicle the achievements of the country without acknowledging the strategic role of the police, particularly the several breakthroughs in the fight against violent crime.

She said it was expected that this year the service would come up with new strategies to deal with criminal elements in society.

She said the year had just begun and already the few cases of violent crime which had been reported pointed to the fact that there was still the urgent need to win the war over crime.

DCOP Ayim said the police were undoubtedly aware of the magnitude of the challenge and assured the public that the service was well prepared and positioned to professionally discharge its duties as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution without fear or favour.

She cautioned personnel of the service to demonstrate a high level of professionalism, both in words and deeds, by exhibiting tolerance, impartiality and fairness at all times.

She said this year the Police Administration had re-introduced police patrols as a major policing strategy to reduce crime to the barest minimum.

A number of personnel who excelled in their duties were rewarded.