Techiman police barracks project is still at standstill

Techiman (B/A), May 19, GNA - Mr. Yaw Adamu Acheampong, Chairman of Techiman Municipal branch of Ghana National Association of Garages, has called on residents of Techiman to help complete the construction of the abandoned police barracks in the town. He said it was important for the people to come together to complete the project because lack of barracks had affected businesses in the municipality.

Mr. Acheampong, who spoke to the GNA in an interview, appealed to financial institutions, NGOs, philanthropists and well-to-do citizens to support the project.

He said the absence of more police personnel in the municipality had resulted in an increase in crime and this had turned investors away from Techiman. "The completion of the barracks will allow Techiman central market, regarded as ECOWAS market, to generate enough revenue for more development projects", Mr. Acheampong said. A traditional ruler in the municipality also called for the release of a plot at the proposed site to build a barracks for the police.

Nana Joseph Ackesson, Chief of Attabourso, noted with regret that the delay in the construction of the barracks was disheartening as police personnel posted to the municipality faced accommodation problems and had to be re-posted. "If I am authorized and given the plot I will be capable of putting up a decent accommodation for the crime officer, the MTTU officer and also construct decent accommodation for the municipal headquarters," he said.

Nana Joseph Ackesson said there was increase in armed robbery in the municipality and appealed to the residents to support the construction of the barracks so more police personnel could be posted to the area.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Seth Werenpeh, the Municipal Crime Officer, said with 24 banks and more than 10 credit unions operating in the municipality "the few police personnel cannot cope with the many criminals in the municipality".