Minority demands review in police appointments amid growing crime rate

Minority in Parliament has called for a review of appointments into the Ghana Police Service following the rising crime reports in the country.

The Minority is calling on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency direct the Police Council to review appointments in the Service.

Addressing the media at Parliament on Friday, Minority Spokesperson on Defense and Interior, James Agalga, said the refusal of the government to review these appointments has consequences for the police.

“The president must direct the Police Council to review the appointments in the Police Service that has weakened the morale of the Police and heightened concern of over-politicization of certain appointments recently made within the service,” Mr. Agalga said.

According to the Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, President Akufo-Addo ought to put together a bi-partisan group as a matter of urgency to help the Ghana Police Service review its operations to adapt new strategies and technologies to stabilize the upsurge of criminal activities in the country.

“The President must show leadership by announcing immediately stable measures aimed at tackling the menace of armed robbery which has assumed very alarming dimensions.”

Mr. Agalga further called on the President to dismiss non-performing appointees and replace them with more competent persons willing to do the job.

There has been growing cases of crime in the country over the past weeks with a case involving a Lebanese man who was shot dead after he went to withdraw cash from a bank at the Tema Industrial Area on Wednesday.

Prior to the shooting of the Lebanese, armed robbers on the morning of Tuesday, February 27, stormed an automobile company in the North Industrial Area and made away with cash amounts leaving a number of people injured.

But two suspects were arrested same day.

The Service on Thursday made changes to its top hierarchy.