Skewed Promotions, Lowered Morale

Ghana Police Service

Last week, some senior police officers were promoted. Ordinarily, such occasions are times when those promoted should be congratulated for being lucky to warrant the elevation.

These are testy times in the history of our great nation and promotions in an important institution like the Ghana Police Service, a favourite turf for politicians, have become a matter of self-service.

The Ghana Police Service, by the peculiar nature of its occupation in the justice system, demands high standards of professionalism.

Indeed, being an offshoot of the Gold Coast Constabulary, it became an autonomous Gold Coast Police following the promulgation of the Police Ordinance of 1894 or so, albeit retaining its regimental traits.  Seniority plays an important determinant for promotion in such a regimental institution. It reminds us of the 'senior number' refrain in the colours and the police as well.

It is for this reason that any attempt at de-professionalising this law enforcement institution through parochial machinations of politicians should be resisted by all means and all Ghanaians.

As an institution which outlives governments, its professionalism should not be compromised under any circumstance, regardless of the monetary gains to be made out of such compromise.

Unfortunately, certain regrettable developments, and there have been many lately, are chipping away the professionalism required to keep the institution afloat. 

The politicisation did not start today but suffice it to point out that the smelly interference by political interest groups has never been so heightened.

While some of the aberrations are so glaring, others are muffled, visible only to victims and those within the Service.

Imagine a Chief Inspector who has passed all the processes for admission to the Police College having his or her name dropped at the eleventh hour simply because political considerations have reared their ugly heads.

The incidence of some officers being promoted over their seniors is not peculiar to the current political administration. Its magnitude today and the ease with which reasons behind them can be discerned is enough to make us whine over the remorseful anomalies.

We should all take interest in sparing the Ghana Police Service in particular, the general politicisation which has afflicted other state institutions.

Like the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, when it is totally infected with the contagion of politics, would be robbed of its ability to discharge its policing role in the manner consistent with best practices as in civil societies elsewhere in the other hemisphere.

For those at the top of the professional ladder almost in the twilight of their career, succumbing to the whims and caprices of greedy politicians might not cost them anything. They are after all on their way out. Not so for the good of the institution and the young men and women who have chosen it as a career option to render service to God and country.

Let the authorities who are at any given time manning the helm remember that governments will come and go, leaving behind state institutions such as the Police, judiciary and others. Bequeathing to future generations clean institutions free of interference of politicians is one great thing we can do for Mother Ghana.