Ghanaian Catholic Priest Heads Ghana Police Religious Affairs Directorate

A Ghanaian Catholic Priest, Very Rev. Fr. George Arthur, who is an Assistant Commission of Police has been appointed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. John Kudalor as the Director of Religious Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service effective August 1, 2016.

The position which is also known as the Chaplain-General had been vacant since 2005 when C/Supt. Very Rev. Benjamin Denis Quansah, a Methodist Minister, retired from the Service after serving in that capacity for six years (1999 to 2005).

Fr. Arthur, who is the Parish Priest of St. George Catholic Church at the National Police Training School (Police Depot), Tesano in Accra, is the fifth Officer-Chaplain to hold such a position after Very Rev. James Emmanuel Yarquah, a Methodist Minister (1966-1973); Very Rev. Anthony Antwi Berko, a Presbyterian Minister (1974-1983); Very Rev. Charles Barifi Ahwireng, a Presbyterian Minister (1983 -1999) and Very Rev. Benjamin Denis Quansah, a Methodist Minister (1999-2005).

He is also the first Catholic Priest to serve as Chaplain and Director of Religious Affairs to the Ghana Police Service.

As the Director of Religious Affairs, Fr. Arthur’s core responsibilities include the co-ordination of all the Chaplains and Imams of the Ghana Police Service and thus becomes the medium of reporting their activities to the Police Headquarters.

He would lead all the Police Chaplains and Imams to give Pastoral care and counselling to Police Officers, their families, dependants, Police Trainees as well as the general public who may need their pastoral services irrespective of their religion.

As part of his schedule, Fr. Arthur would handle all Religious related matters of the Police Service be it Pastoral or Ceremonial and organize the Induction Church Services for newly appointed IGPs.

It is also his responsibility to ensure the organisation of burial Services for both active and retired deceased Police Officers.

The Chaplains and Imams of the Service, also officiate at the swearing-in ceremonies of new Police Trainees (Recruits).

The Directorate also arranges for the officiation of various Religious Services including marriage ceremonies involving Police Officers outside Police Churches and Mosques.

The pastoral care of the Police Hospital and Clinics also falls under the Religious Affairs Directorate.

The Chaplains and Imams also pay periodic visits to Police duty points, including Police Stations, Districts, Divisions and Regional Police Headquarters, as well as visibility and Police check points.

With his new position, Fr. Arthur plays three vital roles as Director of Religious Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Parish Priest of St. George Catholic Church, Police Depot and a member of the College of Consultors of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese.

In an interview with The Catholic Standard, Fr. Arthur expressed gratitude to the IGP for the confidence reposed in him by appointing him to head the Religious Affairs Directorate.

He said his appointment is an honour not only to his home Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi but also to the Catholic Church in Ghana and universal Church.

He said it had also brought to bear the vision of the late Most Rev. Charles Kwaku Sam, Bishop of Sekondi-Takoradi, who released him to be enlisted into the Ghana Police Service.

He said that with the help of God and support from other Chaplains and Imams of the Service, he would succeed in his new portfolio since he believes in team work and idea-sharing.

The Director, who is a Priest of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese, paid glowing tribute to all those who had contributed to his Chaplaincy work in the Service especially Mr. Peter Nanfuri, former IGP, who introduced the Catholic Chaplaincy in the Service and enlisted him in 1998.

He also lauded the IGPs after Mr. Nanfuri namely, Mr. Ernest Owusu Poku, Nana Owusu Nsiah, Mr. Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, Mrs. Elizabeth Mill-Robertson, Mr. Paul Quaye and the immediate past IGP, Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, for their support towards the nurturing and growth of the Catholic Chaplaincy in particular and the Religious Affairs Directorate in general.

Fr. Arthur extolled the efforts of Mr. Francis Poku, former Minister for National Security and his family, who had been the main architect behind the construction of the Catholic Church building at the Police Depot, Accra.

He expressed gratitude to ASP/Rev. Fr. James Kaku, his Parochial Vicar and the Parishioners (both deceased and active) of St. George Catholic Church at Police Depot for their support and prayers that had brought about his vision of establishing the Catholic Church in the Ghana Police Service.

He lauded the late Most Rev. John Martin Darko, Bishop of Sekondi-Takoradi and his successor, Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, for their support and encouragement to him as a pioneer Chaplain of the Police Service.

He also thanked Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby Benson, Director of Matthew 25 House and the Clinical Pastoral Education Centre, both at Koforidua, for being the motivator behind the success of his Chaplaincy for the past 18 years.

As a man of vision, example and action, the Director said, in every human institution, there were bound to be challenges but with the help of God, he envisions to overcome them.

He said for the past eleven years that the position of Chaplain-General (now Director) had been vacant, Chaplains and Imams directly reported to their respective Regional Commanders, who intend report to the Director General Welfare and to the IGP.

He said with his appointment, all Chaplains and Imams of the Service are expected to report to the Headquarters through his Office, noting that the Police Service needed more Chaplains and Imams for the pastoral Care of the Service since currently it has six Chaplains and one Imam.

He was of the view that ideally, there must be a Chaplain and/or an Imam at each Police Regional Headquarters and Training Schools.

Fr. Arthur was installed the first Parish Priest of St. George Catholic Church by Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra on April 10, 2016 at the dedication ceremony of the Church, the only Catholic Church building in the Ghana Police Service.

Fr. Arthur was enlisted Chaplain to the Ghana Police Service on April 1, 1998 during the Police Administration of Mr. Nanfuri.

He underwent the under Cadet and Cadet Police training at the National Police School and Ghana Police Academy (formerly Police College) respectively, both at Tesano, Accra.

He was commissioned as Senior Police Officer (Assistant Superintendent of Police/ASP) with 49 others at the Police College, Tesano by the then Vice President of Ghana, John Evans Atta Mills on April 30, 1999.

After his graduation from the Police Academy, he was appointed Chaplain and Class Instructor to the National Police Academy and Training School (NAPTAS), now National Police Training School popularly called Police Depot, Tesano, until his transfer to the National Police Headquarters in August 2015.

Fr. Arthur had risen through the senior Officers ranks of the Service from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP); Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP); Superintendent of Police (Supt.); Chief Superintendent of Police (C/Supt.) to his current rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

He introduced Police Ethics as a studying subject in the basic training curriculum for the Police Trainees of the Service and he is the author of the Police handbook, Police Officers’ Companion.

He was one of the first eight Police Officers to be deployed to peacekeeping mission tour in Somalia, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

From February 2010 to August 2011, Fr. Arthur, then a Chief Superintendent of Police, played the role of Deputy Training Co-ordinator of AMISOM.

Fr. Arthur was ordained Priest to the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese on July 29, 1995 by Most Rev. Charles Kwaku Sam of blessed memory.

He was the Parochial Vicar at the St. Francis Xavier Parish, Prestea from August 1995 to September 1996; Parochial Vicar of St. Paul’s Parish, Wasa Akropong from September 1996 to March 1998.

On September 27, 1997, he was appointed first Catholic Chaplain of the Ghana Police Service by Bishop Sam.

Born on July 21, 1968 at Wasa Ankasie in the Manso Amenfi District of the Western Region, Fr. Arthur had his Elementary Schooling at Wasa Ankasie.

He obtained both Ordinary and Advanced Level Certificates from St. Theresa Minor Seminary, Amisano, Elimina in 1986 and 1988 respectively.

Between 1988 and 1991, he enrolled at the St. Paul’s Catholic Seminary at Sowutuom, Accra for his Philosophical Studies and from 1991 to 1995, he went to the St. Peter’s Regional Seminary at Pedu, Cape Coast for his Theological Studies.

During his studies at St. Paul’s Seminary, Fr. Arthur also pursued a Bachelor of Arts (B.A. Hons.) in Sociology and Religion at the University of Ghana.

Between 2001 and 2003, he pursued a Post Graduate Certificate Course in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at the McFarland Institute, New Orleans, LA, USA during which he did his practical at the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) as a full time Chaplain.