Don't politicise Police Service - Minister

Tamale, May 23, GNA-Mr Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Interior, at the weekend advised politicians not politicise the Ghana Police Service but to join hands in efforts aimed at ensuring discipline in the Service. He also urged the various Police Commanders to enforce discipline among police personnel but cautioned " this should be done with handiness and fairness".

Mr Ankomah was addressing personnel of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Prisons Service at the Northern Region Command of the Ghana Police end of year get-together in Tamale.

He warned that the Ministry would not countenance unnecessary criticism that would undermine the work of the Police, saying: "this should however not be misconstrue to mean interference with the work of the Service".

Mr Ankomah commended the security agencies for maintaining peace in the region, especially in the Dagbon area even though most of them were working under harsh conditions.

He said: " even though you belong to different units of the security services, you have played your roles well to ensure peace in the Northern Region".

Mr Ankomah advised regional and district commanders of police to give chance to some of their personnel who had worked in the region for longer periods to go on transfers.

He said the Ministry had recruited more personnel into the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana National Fire Service and the Prisons Service to help provide adequate security for the people.

Mr Ankomah said citizens must be able to go about their duties peacefully so that the nation could develop and create wealth and urged the personnel of the security agencies to work hard to sustain the peace in the country.

"Defending the country should be our ultimate goal and everybody must be concerned about the security of the nation".

Mr Ankomah said the government was initiating measures to improve the working conditions of personnel of the security services. The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Abu-Bakar Saddique Boniface commended the security agencies for been able to maintain peace in the region.