STATEMENT PRESENTED BY MR. GEORGE OPOSIKA AGGUDEY CPP SHADOW CABINET MEMBER FOR THE
INTERIOR AT THE NINTH IN THE SERIES OF “HOW CPP WILL DO IT” HELD AT PARTY
HEADQUARTERS, ASYLUM DOWN ACCRA ON WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2010 AT 10.AM.
The Chairman and Leader
Comrade Members of the CPP Shadow Cabinet
Members of the Council of Elders
Members of the Press
Comrades
Ladies and Gentlemen
Introduction:
"The greatness of a man does not lie in moments of comfort and convenience but in
sacrificing his comfort amidst challenges and difficulties for the well being of his
people" Martin Luther King Jnr.”
It is with great pleasure and a high sense of responsibility towards mother Ghana
and my party, that I take my turn on the ninth in the series of “How CPP Will Do
It”: our programme of offering alternative policy visions in important sectors of
Ghana’s governance system, as a government in waiting to provide good leadership for
this country effective January 7, 2013.
Over the past few weeks, colleague Shadow Cabinet Members have convincingly shown
Ghanaians how the CPP government will govern this country in the areas of Finance
and Economic Planning; Justice, Social Welfare, Environment, Lands and Forestry;
Women and Children and Political Affairs as well as our expectations of what our
national budgets should be, to engender economic growth and transformation for the
benefit of all citizens.
Since “DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT THRIVE IN INSECURITY” I take my
turn today, to present our policy vision on how the CPP government will provide
security to life and property as well as secure the territorial integrity of our
home land Ghana.
Chairman, Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, I wish to reiterate what has
been affirmed here by my colleague Shadow Cabinet Members for the past nine weeks on
this platform, that our motivation for seeking political power to govern this
country is not to enrich ourselves and our family members, but
“…to establish in Ghana a strong and progressive society in which no one will have
any anxiety about the basic means of life, about work, food and shelter; where
poverty and illiteracy no longer exist and disease is brought under control; and
where our educational facilities provide all the children with the best
possibilities for the development of their potentialities.”
In delivering on this goal, we will be guided by our Party’s ideology of Nkrumahism
which thrives on the pillars of Self-Determination, Social Justice and
Pan-Africanism.
Current Situation in Ghana:
Armed Robbery:
We are all witnesses to the increase in violent crime, especially armed robberies,
around the country which have resulted in the loss of many lives, loss of property,
and a decline in economic activities that take place mostly at night. While other
economies work 24hours and seven days a week, most productive sectors in Ghana run
for only eight hours a day. Indeed, some commercial vehicles have stopped working at
night due to the menace of armed robbery. Market women live in fear that they will
be robbed at dawn.
These days it the courageous few of our women folk who engage in trading activities
that require them to leave their homes at dawn.
Political Intolerance and Killings:
Today, political intolerance in the country has permeated the whole society; it is
quite disturbing and frightening that differences in opinions could result in the
murder of political opponents as happened to the former Chairman of the Northern
Regional branch of the CPP, Comrade Isa Mobila who was killed in cold blood some
years ago for political reasons.
Political intolerance seems to have taken over the commanding heights of the
country's political landscape, a situation which is spreading like wild bushfire and
threatens to undermine national security and stability. The recent invocation of the
law of “causing fear and panic” by the police to check the development shows the
gravity of the problem.
Partisan media:
Adolf Hitler once said “I used emotions for the many and reserved reason for the
few”. The medium which he used to achieve that was the media. According to him,
since most people were soft minded and therefore passed judgements on issues before
appraising them, it made such category easier for manipulation and to be brainwashed
to further his political ambitions. The recent infamous “Amina Mass Rape” story
which defies all reason as discussed in the Ghanaian media is a case in point, and
indicates how far politicians will go to exploit security situations for their
selfish ends.
Ethnic Conflicts and the Proliferation of Small Arms:
In the past 20 years, Ghana has witnessed many communal armed conflicts among some
ethnic groupings with the major ones being the Kokomba-Nanumba, Bawku and Dagbon
conflicts which led to the killing of people and the disruption of economic life of
the areas affected.
The consequences of these conflicts on the people and the economy are incalculable.
The cost of maintaining troops for several months , even years has a concomitant
effect on the national purse since resources which are needed to be channelled to
other areas of national development are used to feed and organise for the parties
involved in the conflict to smoke peace pipe.
“How CPP Will Do It” The CPP Policy Vision:
The CPP vision for Ghana in one generation is to become a high income country, in a
society that is just, safe, caring, united and prosperous. To achieve this will
require SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION. This means transforming our country to become a
society that is patriotic, disciplined and self reliant to pursue excellence as a
national character, a society that is fair to all and where democratic and economic
governance is devolved to the local level.
At the broad policy level, the CPP government will prioritise the development of an
Early Warning System that works, to enable the security agencies to pick up signals
of conflicts and disasters for timely preventive measures to be taken. It is
envisaged that the early warning system will help security agencies to identify
areas of conflict and develop potential conflict maps, pick up early signals of
simmering tension in communities and provide early, rapid and urgent response.
During the inauguration of the Police Headquarters in Accra on June 9, 1962,
Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah summed up the measures that the government had instituted
to improve and secure the security situation in the country and also spelled out the
responsibilities especially of personnel of the Police Service which he said played
a critical role in the maintenance of the law and order.
He said," the reputation of the Ghana Police Service is very high and we are proud
of that reputation, it is also gratifying to note that due to the various
interventions that the government had put into place, the human material which now
enters the Police Service has improved admirably. People with secondary education
and even graduates are finding their way into the Police Service. This augurs well
for the nation, as it is important that our Policemen should be well informed and be
capable of balanced judgement.
Chairman, Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press:
Article 35(2) of the 1992 constitution is very clear in what is expected of the
state when it comes to national security. It says; “the state shall protect and
safeguard the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ghana, and seek the
well-being of all her citizens”.
Like in many other sectors of governance, successive governments have made some
attempts since 1992 to deliver on this constitutional obligation. But it remains a
cold matter of fact that these efforts can best be described as lip service rather
that the development of a workable comprehensive national security policy
effectively and efficiently implemented to safeguard the territorial integrity and
the well-being of the citizens of Ghana.
The future CPP Administration will halt the trend of paying lip service to providing
security to life and property, by developing a comprehensive national security
policy, prioritised and budgeted for and diligently applying approved resources
earmarked for the sector to give meaning to article 35(2) of the 1992 constitution.
Specifically the CPP government will take the following measures:
Devolution of the Police Service:
In line with our proposed policy of devolution of governance to the local level, the
CPP will abolish the idea of a national police service headed by a central Inspector
General of Police (IGP) and rather have Metropolitan, Municipal and District Police
Commissioners who are accountable to the local communities and are empowered to deal
with peculiar local needs.
In countries where security to life and property have been well managed, there is no
position like the IGP but a number of Commissioners of Police appointed to oversee
the activities of the various regions making up the country and this has resulted
into taking of quick decisions to avoid what would be bloody situations in several
cases.
The CPP views the segregation of police men and women in barracks as neo-colonialist
idea and a continuation of what the colonial authority did prior to independence.
The modern idea is to have police personnel well remunerated and living WITHIN the
local communities, with the people so that they can know and be responsive to needs
rapidly with deep knowledge of facts on the ground. So the CPP will move police men
and women away from barracks and find them suitable accommodation with the people
they are to protect and serve.
In addition to the restructuring, the CPP government will provide the police with
adequate resources, including walkie-talkies, vehicles, and intelligence-gathering
logistics, to fight crime in general and violent crime in particular. We will Launch
an eternal public education campaign on the social cost of crime and encourage the
public through various rewards to help the police, such as reporting illegal
manufacturers or sellers of firearms.
Ghana Immigration Service:
The contribution of the immigration service to national security can not be over
emphasised. However performance of their core duties of examination and
authorisation of applications for visas, issuance of entry and residence permits;
processing of Ghanaian passport applications, border control and management; refugee
registration, protection and management as well as the facilitation of the
implementation of the Citizenship Act 591 of 2000; is fraught with difficulties and
inconsistencies.
The CPP government will thoroughly overhaul the service to make it capable of
combating the growing threats of cross border and cyber crimes as well as terrorism.
We will revive the construction of state of the art Immigration facilities started
during the Acheampong regime with a sense of urgency and through negotiation revive
the joint Ghana-Togo border post to facilitate the movement of goods and people in
line with the CPP principle of Pan-Africanism. This will also be repeated in border
towns with Cote D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
Economic and Organised Crime:
The CPP believes in internal economic integrity of its people. With the onset of
the oil and gas economy and cybercrime, the CPP will strengthen the Economic and
Organised Crimes Office (known as the SFO) with technology and human resources to
ensure discipline at all levels of economic activity. Sakawa and other growing
crimes can be nipped in the bud. An important part of all of this will be a more
serious implementation of the National Identification System to provide the
opportunity to gather data so databases can be built to support the needs of
security agencies, the financial institutions and others so that we can have a more
disciplined and orderly society.
The Ghana Prison Service:
Like other security services, the prison Service lack facilities, logistics and
adequate manpower for effective work. Prisons have now become overcrowded and
degenerated into breeding grounds of hard core criminals instead of a centre for
rehabilitation.
The CPP will establish Correctional Enterprises within the Prison Service so that
the idea of reform and correction can be more firmly established. Correctional
Enterprises will not only produce goods and services to pay for the cost of
imprisonment but will produce revenue that will be used for skills development and
other educational services to make prisoners able to make the transition to society
successfully to reduce the incidence of repeat crime by ex-prisoners.
Ghana National Fire Service:
Undoubtedly, the GNFS is one of the most underfunded and poorly equipped strategic
institutions in Ghana today and its poor state of its equipment led to the untimely
death one if its personnel recently. The past two decades have witnessed massive
fire outbreaks which had visited untold hardships, anguish and pain on victims.
Market structures built with monies from the tax payer have been razed to the ground
by fire while LPG stations across the country had been torched by fire resulting in
the death of the people.
The CPP will uncompromisingly enforce the requirement for developers of housing
estates, markets and other forms of infrastructure to submit their plans to the GNFS
for technical advice. Developers and other individuals who fail to comply with the
directive would have their structures demolished to serve as deterrent to others.
In addition, corporate entities, ministries, departments and agencies will be
encouraged and supported to take preventive safety measures to avoid the occurrence
of fires.
The Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and the Drug War:
The Narcotics Control Board (NACOB)
Section 55 of the PNDC Law 236 established the Narcotic Control Board to
a. Ensure strict enforcement of Ghana's drugs laws
b. Co-ordinate and consolidate government's drug war activities.
Comrades and friends, due to lack of political will, resource and competency, the
activities of NACOB had been constrained to a large extent.
To confront the Narcotics Menace the CPP will work to rid the security and related
agencies of corrupt officials, implement existing recommendations for reforms, and
then launch an anti-narcotics policy based on Interception, Prosecution, Treatment,
and Education as follows:
(i) Interception: Provide adequate resources to the Narcotics Control
Board and other agencies to improve intelligence and interception as well as
collaborate with international organisations to stem the flow of drugs.
(ii) Prosecution: Resource police, judiciary and other state agencies
to prosecute and punish drug-related offenders, particularly traffickers.
Re-introduce stricter laws on the seizure of properties acquired from drug proceeds
directly or indirectly.
(iii) Treatment: Provide resources for existing institutions and create
new ones, if necessary, to provide treatment for drug abusers, particularly the
youth. We shall encourage civil society organisations to do the same.
(iv) Public Education: Introduce drug-abuse education in schools as well
as launch a national public awareness programme on radio, TV and other media on the
harmful effects of drug abuse to individuals, families and society
Recruitment into the Security Agencies:
The CPP is unhappy with the over politicisation of recruitment into the security
services. The CPP will ensure a recruitment policy based solely, on merit and
demonstrated ability. In addition, the selection of police recruits in particular
will be at the district levels so that adequate background checks could be carried
out on such recruits in their respective electoral areas.
This is to ensure that only people with sound conduct and character are recruited
into the various security agencies especially the police. In addition, the course
content of the Police Service will be thoroughly reviewed to reflect modern policing
and the demands of the contemporary society. For this reason emphasis should be
placed on courses like the study of human psychology, management and rudiments of
law.
Sub-Regional Security:
We are ware of the series of meetings that have taken place between the Interior
Ministers of Ghana, Togo and Burkina Faso to discuss cross-border crime and
sub-regional security issues in recent years.
We are also aware that 15 countries including Cape Verde, Senegal, The Gambia,
Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali, Liberia, Cote d'lvoire, Ghana, Togo,
Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Niger have committed to collaborating to fight
cross border crime.
That development is consistent with the Pan Africanism pillar of the CPP Ideology.
The CPP government will naturally remain committed to all the binding regional
Conventions, such as (ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their
Ammunition and other related Materials), intended to reduce the armed violence that
has ravaged the region.
Integration of the Security Agencies:
A CPP government would encourage security apparatuses in the country to integrate
their activities in order to share vital information on intelligence especially on
cross border crimes, narcotics, proliferation of small arms and the formation of
rebel and other militant groups. The need for integration of the activities of the
security agencies has become more critical especially so when Ghana will be
exporting oil in commercial quantities before the end of the year.
Under the CPP regime therefore, the Ghana Police Service would be equipped with
speed boats and other sophisticated gadgets to help personnel apprehend and hand
over to law courts for prosecution persons who would attempt to smuggle oil across
our borders for their personal benefit.
Since crime in the 21st century transcends the borders of Ghana, the CPP government
will rely on its Pan African networks to create avenues for leadership of the
security agencies to engage in regular interaction with their counterparts in the
West African sub-region and elsewhere in the world especially the International
Police (INTERPOL), in the national efforts to fight crime.
Conclusion:
Ghana's present and future development depends to a greater extent on the way it
manages its internal security to create an environment which will engender
confidence in the masses of the people to go about their normal duties without fear
or intimidation.
The CPP is fully aware of this great responsibility and we are fully prepared to
protect and safeguard the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ghana, as
well as seek the well-being of citizens of Ghana, when given the mandate to govern
this great nation, come January 7, 2013.
I thank you for your attention.
Thank You.
