Police Could Have Done Better

We are constrained to reprimand the police in Kasoa for folding their arms when officials of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) descended upon a radio station and assaulted the staff over there. Their refusal to effect an arrest even as the misbehaving persons caused public nuisance is telling and condemnable by all standards.

As law enforcement personnel charged with the responsibility of ensuring that law and order prevail wherever these are threatened, the Commander of the Kasoa Police Command has disappointed the people of this country for his inability to act when he had to.

We would have supported him had his positive action incurred the wrath of his superiors in Accra. We are aware that his decision not to make any arrest was because he felt he could be stepping on toes of his superiors who can easily transfer him without looking back. This is not the kind of policing Ghana deserves in the 21st Century.

We have taken note of the condemnation of the action of the Central Regional NDC Chairman and the Awutu Senya East Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) whose act of barbarism and show of power smacked of ignorance of decency.

How dare they lock up a radio station because the disgraceful conduct of the constituency chairman of the NDC was being discussed? Did he expect the station to close their eyes to the shameful act of his when he decided to put out on the public space his sexual encounter with the Member of Parliament (MP)? He should bow his head in shame and have the MCE join him in expressing remorse for disgracing themselves by hiring machomen to do their dirty bidding at the radio station. How shameful of them. By their action they have totally lost respect of not only members of their constituency but the whole country. We know they do not appreciate respect and shame so won't consider rendering an apology because, for them, it is all about show of unabridged power.

Such useless efforts at gagging the media has no place in the 21st Century and should be resisted by all means.

Even as we laud the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) for condemning the action of the NDC officials, we would rather they go beyond the statement of condemnation and order a boycott of all activities of the party in the region until an acceptable apology is rendered to the radio station and the people of Awutu Senya East Constituency because of the nuisance they displayed during the bedlam they orchestrated.

We similarly ask of the Kasoa Police Command to do same to the radio station and the municipality for failing to exhibit authority but rather showed timidity as they begged the rogue party officials to release the keys of the radio station to them.

We also demand that the police invite the regional party chairman to come and write a statement about his threat to return with firearms. This is a threat which begets an appropriate police action. Civility should reign, not this crap, with law enforcement failing to live up to expectation.