The rule of law and the constitution is the finest law of the land which governs the conduct of each citizen.
Lawlessness, disorderliness and violence which are seriously rearing their ugly heads should not be given an opportunity to thrive in the country.
We should at all times and at all places do all within our power to stamp out every form of indiscipline and lawlessness.
There are several instances of lawless acts in the country; however, l will only limit myself to a few.
The action of the policeman who was severely beaten by a driver and a driver’s mate is unacceptable. If you brutalise a policeman who has been trained by the state to maintain peace and order, then it means you are brutalising a state institution. How can you call on the same state institution which has been mandated to enforce peace and order in the country to come to your aid in times of distress?
The current happenings are indications of indiscipline in the country. Discipline has broken down in the country and people are doing what please them. Crimes are committed with impunity and since people go unpunished, they have the audacity to break the law at the least opportunity.
It is sad to note that people from the highest seat of government to the least person sweeping the streets are not disciplined.
What happened during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election was unacceptable and must be condemned by all objective-minded Ghanaians.
The law of reciprocity speaks about respect for one another. If you want to be respected, then you ought to respect others and work hard to command respect from others.
If a policeman takes the law into his own hands to molest innocent citizens it will not be acceptable. This type of behaviour has a direct link with indiscipline in the country.
If you respect yourself, you carry out your duties in a professional manner without intimidation, you will definitely command respect.
Respect and discipline are the pillars on which the country is built. Ghanaians must try to live in peace with one another and promote peace among others.
My conviction is that if we give peace a chance, Ghana will be a happy place for all to live in.
I am looking forward to the day when it will be said that Ghana is a sweet birth place which is attracting foreigners into the country.
ABDUL-AZIZ M MOHAMMED-Private Legal Practitioner
The police have the duty to protect the citizens of this country. The police who are referred to as peace officers are supposed to maintain peace, order, and unity in the country.
The police officer has a duty to protect the liberty of the citizens but not to molest them, even if caught in the least infraction of the law.
It is the duty of the police to send people they perceived to have gone contrary to the law to court.
The police have no authority to punish any citizen but the court reserves that right to do that.
The action of the driver and the driver’s mate who beat the policeman is unacceptable. No matter what had transpired, if the driver and the driver’s mate were infuriated by the conduct of the policeman, they ought to follow the due process of the law and subsequently proceed to court.
The driver and his accomplice have no authority to punish the policeman the way they did. Their attitude amounts to indiscipline and they must be punished to serve as a deterrent to others.
ALIEU USUMANU-Self Employed
Ghanaians are getting worried about the recurrent impasse between the police and civilians.
There were occasions that policemen came under incessant attacks from the public for which some of them had lost their lives.
People were not happy about the unjustified attack on helpless journalists by the police last week. These are defenseless civilians who were not carrying weapons or any destructive implement to harm the police to warrant such an appalling behaviour.
The repeated molestation of civilians should not be allowed to continue in this country.
The attitude of the driver and the driver’s mate cannot, on the contrary, be justified no matter what might have generated the misunderstanding in the first place.
The citizens must be law-abiding, respect officials in authority and try to live in peace.
WILLIAM DAVIES-Graphic Designer
I have lost confidence in police officers because of their conduct. They do not go about their job professionally as expected of them.
They presumed that civilians do not know the law, therefore, they act anyhow and brutalise innocent citizens.
The civilian could be wrong but the approach of the police officer will make you calm to either admit your mistake or get infuriated.
In the United Kingdom, l was charged by a police officer for parking at a wrong place. The police officer approached me in a polite way and explained to me that the law would not be changed to favour me alone, so l had to pay the fine imposed on me.
I was requested to pay the money via the post and accompanied it with my driver’s license and other details.
So drivers are very careful on the road because if you are caught, the law will deal with you.
SAMUEL NII-ADJEI DUAH-Law Clerk
Whenever something happens to the police, they will move heaven and earth to arrest the culprits and quickly send them to court.
On the contrary if a policeman is at fault, the police will not get the evidence to prosecute their own. The case involving the Joy FM journalist who was molested at the Police Headquarters is yet to be settled. Up till now, the police cannot identify those in the video coverage.
l do not support the recent attack on a policeman in a suburb of Accra, however, when a policeman attacks a civilian, the police authorities should not cover the individual or post the officer involved to a distant location. The personnel must be made to face the law.
PRINCE FREDERICK NII-ASHIE NEEQUAYE- Head, Azinyo Chambers
