By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.
Garden City, New York
Jan. 26, 2015
E-mail: okoampaahoofe@optimum.net
I am writing this brief piece in the wake of Mr. Kofi Boakye's bitter complaint that unsavory and inordinate politicization of the Ghana Police Service (GPS), and the security establishment in the country, in general, was adversely affecting the morale and professionalism of the personnel in these first-responder institutions (See "NPP Nearly Sacked Me - DCOP Kofi Boakye" (Vibeghana.com 1/25/15).
Well, the Ghana News Agency (GNA), our government-owned flagship newsgathering and disseminating agency, has just reported that six senior police officers, ranging in rank from Assistant Superintendent to Chief Superintendent, have petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to investigate the mystery surrounding how these officers, who claim to have been due for promotion since 2013, had their promotions unduly delayed and financially shortchanged by their administrative superiors (See "Disgruntled Police Officers Petition Mahama Over Promotions" GNA/Ghanaweb.com 1/26/15).
We need to quickly point out that three issues are at stake in this petition whose authors would have Mr. Mahama prevail on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Alhassan, and Ms. Rose Bio Tinga, the Director-General of Police Administration, to promptly rectify this "anomaly," as the petitioners characterize the source of their grievance. And, of course, the three issues involved in the grievance are, namely, due process and fairness; professional appreciation and recognition among their colleagues and peers, and society at large; and thirdly, the prompt and opportune adjustment of their salaries and/or economic status to synch with what these officers deemed to be their just desert.
Regarding their primary grievance, the six petitioners note that their promotions ought to have been made retroactive to 2013 and not 2015 or the current fiscal year, if the GNA correctly reported the contents of the petition and yours truly is accurately interpreting and reporting the same. In other words, what is at issue here may be aptly termed as "justice delayed" which, in effect, aptly translates as "justice denied." By having their promotion due dates delayed at least by twenty-four months, or thereabouts, the work of these officers has also been denied prompt and due recognition.
And then, also, having their unduly delayed promotions not take retroactive effect, from 2013, means that the grieving petitioners have been cheated out of their salaries. And on the latter score, we ought to remind ourselves of the fact that our national motto reads: "Freedom And Justice," not "Tyranny And Injustice." The petitioners are also questioning why their professional-development training at the Police Staff College has evidently been discounted, against the norm and traditional practice.
Now, I really don't know the rationale behind these anomalies and hope that the top-brass of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has tangible reasons for acting in the manner that it is reported to have acted. If Mr. Alhassan and Ms. Bio Tinga cannot convince the Ghanaian taxpayer and the citizenry at large that, indeed, they have done right by these six valiant officers, then, of course, non-professional or extra-professional factors may be aptly envisaged to have influenced the fate of the six petitioners.
Of course, it is also quite possible that there are a legion other police officers with similar grievances, and that these are perhaps the handful of bold ones willing to put their professional integrity and economic fortunes on the line in the name of justice and equity. I have also decided to specifically address Mr. Kofi Boakye on the petition of these "Wounded/Aggrieved Six," because the Asante Regional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) recently elected himself as the National Poster-Boy for Professionalism among the ranks of the membership of the Ghana Police Service.
I also sincerely believe that like the "Wounded/Aggrieved Six," Mr. Boakye has both the grit and guts to stand for what is right and fair to our dedicated men and women of the GPS.
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