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29.01.2009 Politics

New IGP Takes Over

By Daily Guide
New IGP Takes Over
29.01.2009 LISTEN

IGP Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong The Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson has officially taken over from the outgoing IGP, Mr. Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong as the Acting IGP.

At a short ceremony held yesterday at the National Police Headquarters in Accra, the outgoing IGP, whilst handing over, wished the Acting IGP well and said the idea of bringing persons outside the Police Service to head the Service would not be in the best interest of policing.

He observed that such school of thought was a complete disaster, adding it has been tried in the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) as well as the Fire Service but failed.

The Police Service, according to him, could not function under the command of anybody outside the Service since such a person would have a lot to contend with, a situation which could create enmity between the head and the rank and file of the Service.

Mr. Kwarteng Acheampong wondered on what basis an IGP who had not risen through the ranks to that enviable position could promote personnel, and noted that a person who had been a police himself would have had the opportunity to know most of the personnel personally and would therefore be in the best position to give technical directives as well as promoting deserving personnel without being bias.  

“It is going to be difficult for the person and for the Service.”

Asked what he would be doing with his leisure, he intimated that he was going to rest and as well exercise regularly.

The outgoing IGP also noted that he was going to devote his leisure to improving upon his social life by making contacts with a few friends in countries like South Africa, Canada and China to acquaint himself with those countries whilst he thinks of what to do next.

He said he had severally received invitations to those countries but was not able to honour them due to his busy schedule and so would want to seize the opportunity to know those countries his never visited.

Mr. Kwarteng Acheampong also prayed that Mrs. Mills Robertson would have the courage to contend with the challenges ahead since the Service was one of the most challenging and much would also be expected of her.

He maintained that his major regret was over-tasking his personnel due to low staff strength, and cited the just-ended general elections as one occasion during which personnel of the Service were over-tasked however without the needed equipment.

He therefore wished that the staff strength of the Service was further improved upon by recruiting more personnel.

He recalled that during his tenure, the training regime of the Service had been improved with syllabus reviewed, giving it an international touch.

He maintained that the Police Service could never be satisfied but there were few things that could be done to make the police efficient and effective, stressing that the former parliamentary sub-committee on security was bipartisan, and prayed that the situation remained same with the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

Mr. Kwarteng observed that the bipartisan nature of the sub-committee was good for the Service as members concerned themselves with the need of the security services against partisan interest.

Mrs. Elizabeth Mills Robertson is a product of Wesley Girls Secondary School, the University of Ghana and the Ghana School of Law.

She joined the Police Service in June 1978 as a cadet officer and has risen through the ranks to the position of Deputy IGP.

If given the nod, 55-year-old Mrs. Mills Robertson would make history by becoming the first lady to occupy that enviable position in the country.

By Rocklyn Antonio

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