Ghana A Haven For Contract Killings?

Acting Inspector General Of Police, John Kudalor

Ghana has been rocked by what is known as contract killing in certain communities in recent times.

Although the incidence is not widespread, it is a matter of grave concern to all, especially the law enforcement agencies, because it is a new trend.

A few years ago, our country was not familiar with contract killing until 2012 election saw many journalist brutalise and for opposing the wrong doing of the government and many Bank managers murdered in cold blood.

This strange development is quite disturbing during this period of load-shedding, as it could provide the conducive environment for criminal gangs to ply their trade.

This has made some international journalist raising issues as how the freedom of press will be maintain in Ghana.

´´Ghana is now getting far too scary for politics these days. How could Hon. Adu be butchered so badly? An MP? Killed like that? And I hear another MPs mansion was burnt yesterday. What's happening? Will Prez Mahama take our security serious for once?´fume a security expert.

True to that, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) last Wednesday published a nationwide load-shedding exercise in the newspapers.

Conscious of the intrigues of criminal gangs to take advantage of any loophole to create an insecure environment, the Ghana Police Service has put in place elaborate plans to make it impossible for criminals to operate during the ?dumsor dumsor? period.

The policy of the police to increase their visibility in the cities and on the roads has helped to improve the security situation in the country.

There is no doubt that the police are doing well in recent times to arrest criminal gangs who have made it their objective to create an insecure environment in the society.

Reports abound of some security personnel who are involved in criminal activities or have sold lethal weapons to criminal gangs to engage in their nefarious activities.

It would be unfortunate to incriminate the entire security agencies for criminal activities because a few of them are engaged in crime, but we must not forget that the few bad lots always drag the name of those with integrity and honesty into the mud.

We are happy that the Ghana Police Administration is conscious of the image problem facing the Police Service and has taken steps to rebrand the service. It is good that the police have decided to engage the public in bringing to book police personnel with integrity challenges.

The Daily Graphic reminds the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, that the task to cleanse the police of miscreants will not be easy, but his determination and that of his team is the first step towards changing the perception that the police are corrupt.

We need a very strong and efficient police service to lead the crusade to sustain the peace and stability of the country and in this project we are certain that the police can count on the support of the public.

The Daily Graphic, therefore, welcomes the decision of the Police Administration to take measures to curtail the potential rise in criminal activities during the two- week national load-shedding exercise.

It is for this reason that we appeal to the various communities to revive the neighbourhood watchdog committees to assist the police to weed out the criminal gangs who live within our midst.

Let us give the police our support to live in a more secure and peaceful environment to go about our daily endeavours.