Meet ACP (Dr.) Sayibu Pabi Gariba

…A Police Officer Par Excellence

By Innocent Samuel Appiah

Growing up in the village, young Sayibu Pabi Gariba knew very well that he would one day get the opportunity of serving his country and become a useful person for the people of Ghana and beyond. For this, he gave his best in his educational ladder, leaving no stone unturned to make his parents proud in the investment they made on him to go to school, and so today, he has successfully gone through the mills and has come out with Doctor of Social Sciences in Human Resource Development from the University of Leicester, where he had earlier done his Master of Science degree programme.

A proud native of Chinderi in the Krachi Nchumuru District of the Volta Region who had desired to join the Ghana Police Service (GPS) after completing his Sixth form education at the Tweneboa Kodua Secondary School and having done his National Service at the Krachi Secondary School, where he taught Economics and Commerce and prepared students for the School Certificate/General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Examinations.

He had the opportunity to join the GPS as a General Recruit Constable Class 2 in 1992 and was awarded a baton of honour as the ‘Best Recruit’ and ‘Best Academician’ on Passing - Out Parade after a 10-month training at the then Police Depot, now the National Police Training School at Tesano in Accra.

Through dint of hard work and based on academic grounds, he was promoted to Chief Inspector in 1997 with direct entry to the Ghana Police College. He later undertook the 33rd Cadet Officers Course and was commissioned into the Officer Corps of the GPS in 1999 as Assistant Superintendent of Police. Through selfless dedication, loyalty and commitment to duty, he has risen through the ranks to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). He has served in various capacities and occupied various command positions in the GPS.

It must be noted that the increasing professionalism and accountability of the GPS is linked to an increasing public interest in the quality of its work, and ethics is now firmly in the spotlight for all Police officers. The GPS has made a number of efforts to be explicit about the values it holds and the ethical principles by which it operates. The Police is an honourable body of men and women whose existence and activities contribute to the quality of life in Ghana.

Today, one can say that ACP (Dr.) Gariba, who has just returned from secondment to the African Union and has been posted to the Upper West Region as the Deputy Regional Commander, is a Policeman par excellence, who exhibits professionalism in the discharge of his duties. He is very proud to work for mother Ghana as a Police Officer and has endeavored to contribute towards the sustenance of the peace, security and stability required for the socio-economic development and prosperity of the country. He has always made good use of the expertise and experience he garnered from the various trainings he has undergone to solve all challenges that might confront him in the course of his duties.

ACP (Dr.) Gariba continues to remain loyal, hardworking and dedicated to his duties by upholding the code of ethics and traditions of the GPS. He is invariably described by his colleagues as someone who exhibits a high sense of professionalism by serving the citizenry with efficiency, morality and integrity. Such professionalism he displayed at the AU has helped in lifting high the flag of Ghana by selflessly coordinating a continental multi – dimensional Field Training Exercise code name AMANI AFRICA II for the operationalization of the African Standby Force.

His PhD thesis, which is on “Police Professionalism: To What Extent Can Recruitment and Training Practices Impact on Police Professionalism in Ghana?” examined Police professionalism in Ghana by focusing on how the enforcement of stringent recruitment and training standards as well as compliance with policy and procedures could enhance the effectiveness of Police Officers.

ACP (Dr.) Gariba’s research established that a number of published studies reviewed indicate that professionalism could be better achieved through the institution and use of processes, procedures and rigid standards. However, the present study finds that the extent to which the GPS abides by established tenets of Police professionalism remains to be seen.

It also emerged in the study that the existence and use of Police recruitment policy and training standards is unclear within the GPS. Similarly, the existence of continuous capacity building programmes for officers seems equally challenging. Although, the GPS has a human resource development component in its organisational structure, a lot more needed to be done to achieve a formidable Training and Capacity Building Wing capable of reforms.

This, the thesis said, “requires a robust implementation of capacity building initiatives and a general inability on the part of the GPS to create solid career development paths for police officers in Ghana. However, it is obvious that a better-trained police force will be more effective and responsive to the people in a democracy. Transforming police culture in Ghana requires the introduction of a new recruitment and training regime, coupled with a reformation of the entire organisation.”

The findings of the study strongly recommended the need for the reform of Police culture and capacities in order to achieve Police professionalism in Ghana. Therefore, the commitment of the GPS to undertake Police reform to implement existing standing orders; to administer stricter criteria for recruitment and training; and, to pursue continuous capacity building initiatives for serving officers is paramount in attaining police professionalism in Ghana.

Having successfully ended his duty with the AU the Commission on 31 December 2015, the African Union wrote a letter of appreciation for the immense contribution it has gained from ACP (Dr.) Gariba’s rich experience. The statement expressed gratitude to the Republic of Ghana for seconding ACP (Dr.) Gariba, to the AU Commission Peace and Security Department as a Police Training Officer of the African Standby Force.

“Over the years, ACP (Dr.) Gariba discharged his tasks with the African Union with a high degree of commitment and loyalty. He demonstrated incredible professionalism and integrity, and carried the flag of the Republic of Ghana high always. He made an outstanding contribution to the work of the African Union Commission and particularly, Peace and Security Department, towards the operationalization of the African Standby Force through training, its evaluation processes and the AMANI AFRICA Exercise,” the statement noted.

Whilst with the African Union, ACP (Dr.) Gariba an Expert in Peace Support Operations Training and Exercise Design and Delivery, singlehandedly co-ordinated a Police and Civilian focused Exercise dubbed “Exercise NJIWA”, from 2011 to 2013. It is remarkable and equally rewarding to state he was also a member of the Core Planning Team of AMANI AFRICA II (AA II) Field Training Exercise. In his capacity as a member of the core planning team, led and supervised the design, planning and successful conduct of the AMANI AFRICA II Exercise that was held in October/November 2015 at the South African Army Combat Training School in Lohatla, Northern Cape.

It is paramount to mention that he facilitated the formation of the Police Component of the African Standby Force, having been the first Police Officer deployed to the continental Planning Element. Amongst others, designed and developed the African Union Police Commanders Course besides coordinating the Senior Mission Leadership Course. Other duties that he carried out covered the design of Peace Support Operations Courses at the level of the AU Commission namely: Mission Management; Strategic Headquarters, Mission Headquarters and Force Headquarters Training Courses.

The new Deputy Upper West Regional Commander has over the years performed the following duties and held command appointments: Special Operational Assistant, National Police Headquarters (HQ), Accra; Commander, National Highway Patrol Unit, National Police HQ, Accra; Directing Staff, Ghana Police College (Now Police Academy), Accra; Officer Commanding, Police Training School, Pwalugu, Bolgatanga; and Director, Community Policing Unit, National Police HQ, Accra – (Additional Task). He also served at Regional Police HQ, Wa, Upper West Region in. Whilst in the Upper West Region then, he also served as Tumu District Commander and Lawra District Commander respectively; Internal Auditor, Internal Auditor, National Police Headquarters and; Clerk, Establishment Office, National Police HQ, Accra.

Additionally, ACP (Dr.) Gariba performed very critical national assignments. Notable amongst them are: Ghana Police Coordinator to the Central Bank of Ghana for the Redenomination Exercise; Member of the Revenue Agency Governing Board as Police Highway Patrol Commander; Planning and deployments for CAN 2008, UNCTAD 12 Conference and President Bush’s visit to Ghana in 2008.

ACP (Dr.) Gariba attended various courses both locally and abroad: notable among them are Senior Command Course 1, at the Ghana Police Command and Staff College in Winneba, Ghana; North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Exercise Planning Course at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany; European Union Core Course on Security Sector Reform at the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Stadchlaining, Austria; African Union Senior Mission Leadership Course at the Cairo Centre for Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping in Africa in Cairo, Egypt; and African Union Strategic Headquarters Training Course at the National Defence College of Cameroun, Yaoundé, Cameroun.

Others are African Union Strategic Headquarters Training Course at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Conflict and Crisis Management Course by Cranfield University in Accra, Ghana; AITA Aviation Crisis Management Course in Accra, Ghana; ECOWAS Standby Force Staff Training Course at the Kofi Annan International Training Centre (KAIPTC), Accra, Ghana; ECOWAS Standby Force Multinational Command Post Exercise at the KAIPTC, Accra, Ghana; Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Course at the Kofi Annan International Training Centre, Accra, Ghana; and Security Leaders Skills Development Course at the Mubarak Police Academy in Cairo, Egypt.

The Deputy Upper West Regional Commander has had very incomparable career in peacekeeping operations with the United Nations, the AU mandated deployments, and International Diplomatic service. He has worked comprehensively across Africa within the strategic continental planning Element (PLANELM) at the African Union Commission for the operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture.

In 2002, ACP (Dr.) Gariba led a group of Ghanaian Police Officers deployed to the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), where he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of UNMIK Police Inspection/Audit Unit at the main HQ in Pristina, Kosovo. Whilst on UNMIK operations, he was the Ghana Police Contingent Commander for his group of Ghanaian Police Officers to Kosovo.

In October 2008, ACP (Dr.) Gariba was seconded by the Government of Ghana to the African Union Commission as the Police Training Officer of the ASF, and was one of the first of Police Officers who established the Police Component of the ASF within the Department of Peace and Security at the African Union Commission. At the AU Commission, he was embedded in the PLANELM and amongst others performed duties as such as: Strategic Planning; Policy Development; Design and Delivery of Middle and Senior Level Peace Support Operations Courses; Exercise Planning and Coordination; Facilitation and Coordination of Training Programmes; and worked towards the operationalization of the ASF. He also liaised with the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanism, African and International Centres of Excellence for PSO, United Nations, European Union and AU Strategic partners.

ACP (Dr.) Gariba co-ordinated the AU Police Commander Courses and AU Senior Mission Leadership Courses for training Police Commanders, Force Commanders and Head of Mission for AU Mandated PSO. Besides, he supported the setup of AU Missions in the area of Training and Police component, particularly African Union Mission in Somalia and the African led International Support Mission in Mali. Furthermore, ACP (Dr.) Gariba has delivered series of presentations on behalf of the AU at African Chiefs of Police and Heads of Gendarmerie Meeting and Specialized Technical Committee for Defence, Security and Safety Meetings.

It is germane to emphasise that, ACP (Dr.) Gariba has an outstanding knowledge and experience in Exercise Design and Delivery having been core member of the AMANI AFRICA II Exercise Planning and Evaluation Team. He designed and executed the AU Police and Civilian Focussed Exercise codenamed: Exercise NJIWA and co-ordinated the design and delivery of Exercise Cycle of Activities of AMANI AFRICA II Field Training Exercise.

With regard to his education and academic work, ACP (Dr.) Gariba amongst others, has had high level academic and professional qualifications. He holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Master of Science (MSc) in Policing and Social Conflict from the Department of Criminology of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, with a dissertation on “A Critical Analysis of the Democratic Policing Model: A Case for Ghana’s Emerging Democracy.” Also with a doctorate from the same prestigious British University.

The Chinderi-born Police Officer has a sound research background, having undertaken various studies in colonial and democratic policing models in Africa as well as police professionalism in Ghana. Additionally, he has extensive experience in policy development, capacity building and training, national security policy including security sector transformation and the mechanics of the APSA.

DSP Freeman Tettey, Deputy Director of Police Public Affairs, who has known ACP (Dr.) Gariba since 2004, said this is a hardworking, very intelligent and principled man, who is highly professional and doesn’t compromise on indiscipline. “This man is very meticulous and doesn’t change his mind and position when he is on track, which some might see as wrong. He deals with his friends first before tackling others, and sometimes, you might think that it was wrong of being his friend,” he noted.

Sgt. Jacob Mensah Bonsu (VVIPU) described ACP (Dr.) Gariba as someone who is very principled and doesn’t discriminate against anybody; and that he always ensures that he projects the image of the GPS with his vast expertise he gained from the AU. He is ever ready to lend a supporting hand to all who come into contact with him.

For his part, Cpl. Musah Mohammed, who has been the driving ACP (Dr.) Gariba for over 10 years, said his boss is firm and disciplined, who expects the best out of every situation. According to him, no matter who you, he doesn’t fear nor favour but makes sure that people are treated with some kind of dignity and as such described him as objective.

Mr. Glenn Edwin Bosrotsi of the University of Energy and Natural Resources who see ACP (Dr.) Gariba as charismatic and hardworking, said he is a man of his word, with high integrity and truth, describing him as a mentor to many who come into contact with him. “I believe that if the Police administration should look at his character and emulate, it will go a long way to help the image of the service,” he maintained.

ACP (Dr.) Gariba, can be described in shot as a real gem to the GPS and Ghana as a whole. It is hard these days to come across men like him. He should therefore be held in high esteem and serve as a role model for all who come across him in life.

This is a man that the GPS and the nation as whole, is proud to have – great men are the real men: in them nature has succeeded. A man who pays respect to the great, paves his own way for greatness; and today, the people of Chinderi in the Krachi – Nchumuru District and Ghana as a whole, are very proud to have such an affable and committed son of the land, who has vast knowledge in policing in Ghana, and for that matter, became one of the key pillars in the AU Commission Peace and Security Department as a Police Training Officer of the ASF.