Have We Lost Faith In The Ghana Police Service?

Meanwhile in Ghana, the military has been used several times to stop electoral violence, to keep calm in demonstrations, to resolve issues. Many more to come stay tuned.

Welcome to Ghana, the West African country which refuses to recognise the Police service although it holds a high profile position in its law enforcement fight. The Ghana Police Service although exists has been rendered weak and not strong enough to handle issues in this country by the government, thus the use of the military who end up creating discomfort for individuals. This action by the government to use the military in its operations is rather remarkably funny and dangerous, why is the police even in operation if it cannot be left to handle issues in this country, I think the government itself has lost hope in the service it commands because it has refused to provide the necessary tools and equipments the service will use in operations. But I'm not here to talk about the police service, I'm here to ask a simple question why do we always allow the military to be doing the work of the police? The most important function I know the military has is to stop conflicts and wars not to keep calm in demonstrations and others.

Military interventions in civilian duties have caused many mishaps and catastrophies in this country, currently Ghana is weeping the death of two young men who were killed as a result of a military Intervention in the youth demonstration at Ejura following the death of social media activist "Macho Kaaka". The military who were sent to help the police keep calm in the area on the 29th of June 2021 turned the place into a blood bank by injuring four people and killing two totally breaching the constitutional rights they had.

Article 13 of the constitution states:
(1)
No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally except in the exercise of the execution of a

sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana of which he has been

convicted.
(2)
A person shall not be held to have deprived another person of his life in contravention of clause (1) of

this article if that other person dies as the result of a lawful act of war or if that other person dies as

the result of the use of force to such an extent as is reasonably justifiable in the particular

circumstances-
(a) for the defence of any person from violence or for the defence of property; or

(b) in order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained; or,

(c) for the purposes of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny; or

(d) in order to prevent the commission of a crime by that person.

What were their crime? I need an answer.
Rather sad and confusing isn't it? But this is Ghana everything is possible. Actions such as this one is not news it could have been news if this was the first time, but let us go back in 2020 the eight day of December where the military was sent in again to make peace in the elections but ended up killing two people and also injured nine. Later these victims were branded as thugs who tried to rig the elections, another confusion I can't comprehend.

So fellow Ghanaians let us ask the government, has it lost faith in the Ghana police service, or has it reached the level where it feels the police is not capable of keeping peace in the country? If yes why, if no why. My article leaves behind many unanswered questions, but I cannot answer them myself and so I'm waiting on the government to give me the answers if only they will be answered remains an issue for tomorrow's people to analyse. But let's go back in 2020 again where the military were sent to maintain peace in Oti region during the Voter's registration exercise, the people in the area complained of intimidation. They were afraid of the military's presence and so could not go about their normal duties, even I will be afraid when faced with such a threat. It is true the military is important and should be used, but its frequent use in civil matters can be disastrous to our democracy.

Ghana for us all!!! Amen.

By Adom Desmond