Police, Political Interference

IGP, Mohammed Alhassan
One of the factors militating against the efficient policing of the country is the rampant interference in the work of law enforcement officers by mostly politicians and others with links to government appointees.

Some police officers have been at the receiving end of the tongue-lashing of regional ministers and DCEs. In some instances these cops have been transferred or suffered other humiliating treatments at the instigation of government appointees with strong presence at the corridor of power.

In recent times the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Afotey Agbo, has been on rampage as it were, rubbishing the police for reasons which hardly make logical sense.

It is all about the now vexed subject of Appolonia, a community in the Greater Accra Region, where political interference in chieftaincy brouhaha witnessed the deployment of soldiers for a brutalisation mission. We wonder why in this day and age such military junta days' misconduct would still be ordered with the acquiescence of the regional minister.

A few weeks ago we were constrained to take on the regional minister following his unbecoming conduct on radio after soldiers were sent to Appolonia to do what should have been the duty of the civilian police. Unfortunately, with persons like Afotey Agbo presiding over a region which hosts the seat of government, unusual conducts such as these are no longer anathema.

Lately the Dodowa District Police Commander, Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, is the man the regional minister has set his sight on.

When public officers are run down with ease the way the regional minister is doing, the whole law enforcement institution suffers, something which eventually impacts negatively on good governance.

We have had cause to castigate the police when the need for such reprimand arises. This we do with a view to sanitising policing in the country. Although there are shortcomings in policing, law enforcement being a microcosm of society is only a reflection of the challenges the country is facing. Indeed which institution of state does not post such challenges?

As part of the administration of justice, the country cannot survive without law enforcement officers. Just why the minister would embark on such a useless and scathing mission picking on a whole institution of police and even individuals within it the way he is going is beyond our ken.

Elsewhere in this edition, a DCE has commended the Dodowa Police Commander for a wonderful performance – a far cry from Afotey Agbo's ranting.

Had Kwesi Ofori been allowed to chase the thug who disrupted the voter registration exercise in a portion of Kumasi sometime ago, Miginma, as the thug is called, would not have been around to breach the law; but no politicians stopped him in his tracks so such criminals can terrorise innocent citizens. Now that the suspect has been arrested with sophisticated firearms, we wait to see whether this time round a politician would make a phone call to order his release.

God save this country.