I won't interfere in work of police - Akufo-Addo

The government of Ghana will not meddle in the work of the Ghana Police Service to enable them perform their duties efficiently, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

According to him, governments, unlike the police service, are temporary and it will, therefore, not be prudent for the security service to lose its neutrality and be an appendage of any government, a development he said would be unhealthy for the security of the country.

Mr Akufo-Addo said this in an address on the occasion of the end of year get-together of the Ghana Police Service, popularly referred to as ‘Wassa’.

“In a democracy, the organisations that are generally referred to as constituting the security services, such as the police, are expected to be politically neutral in performing their duties. The law states so and normal practice gives them this neutral outlook. It is in everybody’s interest that the Police Service retains the neutrality and professionalism guaranteed under the constitution,” he stated.

“Governments have term limits, and in a multi-party democracy, parties win and lose power. It is good for the health of the nation that this is so, and this is why the police service should not tie their well-being or otherwise to the fortunes of the ruling party of the day. As president, and together with the leadership of the police service, we will ensure that you are left to focus on your core mandate and not be an appendage of my government. I envisage a police service that goes about its duty of protecting ordinary citizens confident that there will be no interference from the powers that be.”

He reiterated government’s promise to continue the recruitment into the police service to meet the UN Police Public Ratio (PPR) of 1:500.

“My government will continue recruitments into the Police Service with the aim of meeting the U.N ratio. We will also ensure gender equity in this regard. We must get a more professional police service, where recruitment and training practices are of acceptable international standards,” he noted.

Mr Akufo-Addo was grateful to the police for ensuring the safe conduct of the 2016 election, for bringing the recent clashes in Bimbilla under control and for their conduct during peacekeeping duties.