Tribute To The Late Igp Peter Nanfuri

The Islamic religion, like all other illustrious religious institutions worldwide, practiced eulogies for the spirits of the dead. The expectation is that one will remain silent in the absence of any positive values. Why should we remain silent when we also believed that "every soul shall taste death"? Well, as our great prophet Muhammad (SAW) has stated, dying is unpleasant. Even though, we shall all return to the Creator of the universe one day. However, some good deeds we may have committed while on earth will serve as the foundation for our fond memories.

The return of the former Inspector General of Police’s mortal remains to his Lord brought tears to the eyes of the Muslim community, the People of Jirapa, and Ghanaians as a whole. The Muslim fraternity, in particular, in the "Service with Integrity" will always glorify your name and write it in white ink on a black background so that every Tom, Dick, and Harry would know what you did for muslims in Ghana. This article aims to recognize the contributions made by the late Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri, the former Inspector General of Police (IGP), to Muslims working for the Ghana Police Service and Muslims in Ghana in general.

During his tenure as IGP, the former IGP is known to have pioneered and fostered religious diversity and activities related to it within the Ghana Police Service. As an ardent Catholic and Christian, he offered recognition to the growth of the Muslims in support of the premise underlying the Ghana Constitution of 1992 on freedom of worship. The late Peter Nanfuri was moved to listen to the voices of the Muslims who asked for a proper space to worship Allah. According to information, IGP Nanfuri used his adept listening skills to engage with the Muslims in the service and used all of his resources to discuss a wide range of important service stakeholders before coming to a satisfactory decision regarding the allocation of the plot of land for the construction of the mosque.

As a result of the nature and activities related to how the mosque management committee manages its operations, the Ghana Police Mosque today is one of the most valued locations for worshippers in Ghana's capital, Accra. This is because each time one attends prayers there, one’s faith is renewed. The mosque's distinctive architecture places police officers in a position of honor among the other security services. The development of the mosque was met with opposition by a section of other religious organizations, but the late IGP remained steadfast in his commitment to the growth of equity, truthfulness, and fairness. It is important to note that when the current structure was just beginning, invisible powers were striving to frustrate the efforts of the visionary individuals working to make the religion fail.

The development of the designated plot of land was occasionally halted by unseen powers on the grounds that the site has been set aside for another, equally significant enterprise. The former IGP upon hearing the unpleasant news, was said to have consulted the various service directors at the headquarters. Fortunately, all the directors denied ever knowing anything about the project's suspension. The men in black who had confidence in Allah were able to accelerate the mosque project thanks to this freedom. The late Peter Nanfuri, who was a devoted Catholic, never allowed his religious affiliation to bring him into disrepute or disdain, Instead, he led the service with honesty and integrity.

Further, Peter Nanfuri also made a great contribution to the growth of human resources and spirituality with his idea to recruit Imams while they were wearing police uniforms. In the Police Headquarters arena, prayers for police officers and other Muslims have been led by civilians from the pre-colonial era. Peter Nanfuri therefore, showed foresight in starting the recruitment procedures for Muslims who had the necessary understanding of Islamic faith and obligations of the Ghana Police Service towards ensuring peace and order. This action established a landmark, and the Chaplaincy Directorate now takes into account the Imam's activities for Muslims in any recruitment procedure. The Imams in the police uniform leading prayers at the Ghana Police Mosque do inspire Muslim youth and help advance the respect the service require from the Zongo communities.

Arguably, future generations will be able to see, touch, and feel the contributions of late Inspector General of Ghana, Peter Nanfuri. The Imams in uniform and their civilian counterparts play a significant role in educating the people in Muslim communities. Their contributions have help to enhance the relationship between the Ghana Police Service and the residents of the Zongos. The Imams also assist in resolving disputes before they become chaotic among the majority of Zongo residents.

Interestingly, the Ghana Police Mosque has unique features that distinguished itself from other mosques in the country. A part from the scintillating prayer space, the mosque also has a conference hall. The edifice has washrooms that received the needed attention every now and then. The nature of the leading prayers is spice with visiting Imams. These visiting Imams includes both local and international personalities. The likes of Professor Kamil Naail Mohammed Dangigala of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Sheikh Nurudeen Lemu of Nigeria among others have had the privilege to mount podium.

The late Inspector General of the Ghana Police, Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri's contributions to the advancement of religious activities and fairness have evolved into a criterion to assess how other succeeding IGPs interact to and promote religious equity in the Ghana Police Service. We Muslims in Ghana will always remember the hardworking son of our country, the late Peter Nanfuri, who served as the IGP from 1996 to 2001, to the family, the people of Jirapa, and all Ghanaians.

Mohammed Rabiu Adam
(Educational Leadership Strategist)

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