Fallen cops will be honoured - Dery

The government of Ghana has revealed plans to establish a foundation which will cater for the families of all security officers who die in the line of duty.

Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, who revealed this at a press conference on Wednesday, June 14 said: "We already have a strategic plan going. There is a memorial that is going to be built by the police. So, all those who die in the line of duty are going to have their names put on [it]”.

"They have an existing system where they give GHS5,000 for starters but there is a foundation we are looking at which will apply to all,” Mr Dery said.

His remarks follow criticisms against the Ghana Police Service that it has neglected the family of an officer who was shot dead in the line of duty.

Lance Corporal Robert Kumi Ackah of the Tamale Rapid Deployment Force was said to have been mistaken for an armed robber by his colleagues and killed near Dawadawa, on the Buipe-Kintampo stretch of the highway.

Following the state burial of lynched army officer Major Maxwell Mahama with a Trust Fund being established in his name with seed money of GHS500,000 and an additional donation of GHS50,000 by President Akufo-Addo, some critics have wondered why the police service has not done anything similar for the fallen cop.

However, the outgoing Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Cephas Arthur in a separate interview, said the police administration has not ignored the late officer and that he was being honoured.

According to Supt Arthur, “the Regional Command ensured that they paid her [the widow] regular visits to console and commiserate with her to ensure that she is not destabilised emotionally”.

“The Police has also made a cash donation of GHS5,000.00 to the bereaved spouse and the children to ensure that they are able to cater for their immediate needs in the absence of the breadwinner. Additionally, I am told Unique Insurance also came and donated GHS5,000.00 to the Police to be presented to the bereaved family,” he said.

Meanwhile, another police officer was gunned down at Michel Camp in Tema on Tuesday. Two suspects on a motorbike shot and killed Michael Kporye, a police constable who was on a motorbike on his way to work.