NDC scribe heads for court over ‘NPP Police’

The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress,(NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketsia is heading for the Supreme Court to determine the legality or otherwise of the concept of Community Policing as a module of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).

According to the Network Herald newspaper, the NDC chief scribe gave hint of his intention during the celebration of June 4th, 1979 coup at Somanya recently.

“In an interview with Asiedu Nketsia he opined that no matter how well intentioned the community police programme is, he strongly believes it is at variance with the 1992 constitution which reigns supreme above all,” the reported on Tuesday.

The General Secretary quoted from the Constitution beginning with article 85 saying, “no agency, establishment or organization concerned with National Security shall be established except as provided for by the Constitution.” Mr. Asiedu Nketsia then continued with Articles 200 and 202 which state among others that no person or authority shall raise any police service except by or under the authority of an Act of Parliament.

He at this point he quipped, " have you heard any discussion or deliberation about this community police in parliament? Tell me. I suppose you are a well- informed journalist."

Mr J A Nketsia argues that if the government wants to give employment to citizens, or thinks that there are not enough police personnel, the proper channel should be used and not to engage in an illegality.

The NDC General Secretary believes that the community police will be to the advantage of the New Patriotic Party rather than the people of Ghana. He fears the can also be used to rig the election 2008, especially when there are arms being brought into the country under cover of darkness without passing through normal security checks.

He added "Let's get real as a nation. How can the Police not be answerable to the Inspector General of Police and the Ministry of Interior but to the Ministry of Employment. This illegality must stop".

General Mosquito confided that already two batches of the 'Party Police' have passed out in the Upper West Region and Kumasi

When Network Herald contacted Assistant Commissioner Ama Amponsah-Baafi, the boss of the community policing unit, she stated confidently that civilians involved were not threatening any laws of the country.

Source: Network Herald