Disquiet in Police Service ...

...Over ACS and "PP" recruits

The Armoured Car Squadron (ACS) of the Ghana Police Service, the Mowag boys, a highly operational unit that could deal promptly and effectively with any threat to internal security, has been known to be in-charge of executive guards, The Chronicle can report. But new information available to the paper indicates that today their functions are being duplicated by the presence of a group of persons in police uniforms who are transported daily to and from the military camp at Asutsuare, one time home of Rawlings’ commandos, referred to as 64 Infantry Regiment.

The Chronicle gathered that since the deployment of these men, who allegedly did only a three-month training course as policemen, to sensitive installations already being manned by the highly trained and rugged blue-black overall wearing Mowag guys, there have been pent up feelings between the armoured personnel and these men who, the paper learnt, are given preferential treatment over their seniors.

Highly placed police sources hinted that the attitude of these men referred to in some police circles as ‘Party Police’ (‘PP’) is not in consonance with the norms of the Police Service as a disciplined institution, for they allegedly display a high degree of insubordination, and thus have become a source of worry for the sectional leaders to blend the two to co-exist.

The sources went on to say that though the present Kufuor administration is doing well for the police in terms of provision of vehicles for their patrols, a divided police service was likely to emerge soon if immediate action was not taken to place the ‘PP’ personnel under a particular command in the police service to take orders.

Reports reaching The Chronicle intimated that even ration served at the duty points varies, as some of the duty men eat from the local cook houses, while the others are allegedly served with ‘take-away.’

It was gathered that morale at the once powerful unit had gone down drastically, more so as quite a number of the Mowags had been scrapped and reportedly sent to the steel mills and melted.

Information has it that a delegation from Switzerland, home of those Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), had conducted an inspection on the broken-down Mowags and unconfirmed reports had it that there was going to be mechanical cannibalism of the cars, but that never was, rather scrap dealers had a field day.

The fleet of APCs was shredded at their depot base, ferried on long trucks to the steel mills at Tema, and for security reason, The Chronicle would not like to mention the number of Mowags the police have presently, though inside sources hinted that it is disturbing.

The Chronicle has stealthily followed recent happenings in the Police Service and can emphatically report that, strangely, the Training School at Winneba in the Central Region, for unexplained reasons, has not been taking and training recruits, but rather the Ghana Immigration School at Assin Fosu is harbouring police recruits.

As to what the Winneba Depot is being used for, one can not tell but our intelligence had it that last week, specifically Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, that a retired army colonel from the National Security led a recruitment team that allegedly interviewed quite a number of people, possibly for enlistment, but as to which security establishment will benefit from that exercise it could not be fathomed.

A number of government and New Patriotic Party (NPP) officials in the Central Region were present during some of the days of the recruitment.

Earlier and late last year, a sizeable number of men and two women, including five civilians, allegedly had counter insurgence training at the school, allegedly under three French instructors.

The last time recruits were trained at the Winneba Police Training School was about eight months ago when some of the present ‘PP’ were rushed through three months course, instead of at least six months, when intakes are expected to take criminal law, criminal procedure, police duties, musketry, and other subjects, alongside regimentation, which is quite intensive.

While the depot remained unused, and recruits are pushed to Assin Fosu, information available has it that new training schools are to be established in Kumasi and Bolgatanga.

Still at the training schools, report available has it that a recent 50% pay rise for instructors at the traditional schools in Accra, Koforidua, Ho and Winneba is causing a stir among other staff at the schools who have not benefited from the increases.

However, it is reported from high positions in the police that, the ‘oversight’ will be corrected to bring about peace at the Depots.