The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has appealed to the public to make lands available for the establishment of police stations to promote security.
According to him, the most important commodity in the whole socio-economic development of every country is security, “Unfortunately, in most cases, security is relegated to the background and we do all things and after that we will be wanting and looking for security”.
He said this in Accra yesterday during the inauguration of the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) Headquarters at Nima built by the Tobinco Group.
“A case in point is where lands are being shared for both developmental purposes be it commercial or residential and nobody will factor in a place for police station they will share the whole piece of land and thereafter, they have no place for police and yet they expect police to come to that community.
And we are left in this case with no choice but to struggle with little space here and there in order to provide the policing infrastructure needed to maintain law and order,” he said.
He assured that the police would up its game by portraying a high level of professionalism, ethical and humane attitude in order to win their trust which seemed to have gone down over the past couple of years.
The Minister for the Interior Mr Ambrose Dery said for the police to become a world class institution, its personnel must deliver their services in a professional and ethical manner.
“For this to be achieved, there is the need to deploy an internal mechanism to ensure that personnel live up to the expectations of Ghanaians in respect of professionalism and ethical conduct,”
He said a decentralisation programme leading to the establishment of Regional PPSBs across all 18 police regions to bring the bureau to the door step of all has been set up.
Mr Dery urged the public who felt aggrieved during any engagement with the police to call and seek redress.
The minister indicated the activation of a WhatsApp number for members of the public to send video footages of police conduct, both good and bad for investigation and commendation as the case may be.
He commended Elder Nana Amo Tobbin I, Executive Chairman of the Tobinco Group for his patriotic gesture, “Indeed, public private partnership of this nature must be encouraged for the good of our country and the benefit of our people. The Police Service and the government are grateful to you,”
Nana Amo Tobbin I, in a speech read for him said the project was part of the Groups corporate social responsibility in giving back to the society.
According to him, having a professional Police Service was key to maintaining law and order in the country because a professional police officer related better to the citizenry, making policing quite easy.
He added that, the emerging threats of terrorism and instability within some of our neighbouring countries required that the country equip and resource the security agencies to preserve the territorial integrity.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
