The Junior Rank Representative On The Police Council - "The Who, The How And The Why?"

Article 201 of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana provides for the establishment of the Police Council to advise the President on matters relating to internal security, including the role of the Police Service, budgeting and finance, administration and the promotion of the Officers above the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police. Ala 203(1) functions of the police council.

Since the promulgation of the constitution, we have always had representation on the police council as junior ranks of the police service who are supposed to represent our interest.

But unfortunately, we have never been told how our representative is chosen from amongst other thousands of other inspectors and chief inspectors, and also how he/she is representing us.

Questions have been asked in some circles whether it is time for us to demand occasional meeting with him to put forward our grievances/problems before him for onward submission to the council or not?

Maybe some time in the future, we will be given the opportunity to do so.

201(g) of the 1992 constitution reads; "two other members of the Police Service the President, acting with the Council of State, one of who shall be a junior rank" Note that unlike Reg 16(1)(e) of the C.I.76 which clearly states that the representative shall not be below the rank of inspector, Article 201(g) is silent on the specific rank of the representative of the junior ranks. It only mentioned "one of whom shall be a junior rank"

It is judicial knowledge more or less that for the entire lifespan of the 1992 constitution so far, as well as the entire period that we have had junior ranks representatives on the police council, it has always been an inspector or chief inspector who who gets nominated. I stand to be corrected though.

As a member of the junior rank Corp of the service, I have always wondered how the someone who represents me on this constitutional council is chosen or by which criteria is he nominated thence introduced to the president/council?

Who nominates/introduces him to the president/council to be considered?

Is it the case that this junior rank prior to his consideration is known to the president or council by any shape or form, relationship, family, friendship minus political considering that we are bared from getting close to politics and anything close to it.

Does this criteria involve academic qualifications, experience ie operations, administrative, criminal investigations, prosecutions, station, or long service, duty post or station, personality, gender etc?

These same questions to a very large extent can also be asked in relation to Regulations 16(1)(e) of the C.I.76 on the membership of the regional police management board where by a junior rank not below the rank of inspector also represents junior ranks.

Isn't it time that we begin to demand some answers from our representative and to require of him/her to meet us before attending to any sitting of the police council and to brief us even on limited basis what is discussed at the council in respect of our general welfare?

Or perhaps, isn't it time that the representative sets up a platform through which he can collate our views to put it before the council which will then form part of the advise the council will make to the president?

Although both the national constitution and the police service regulations Act, C.I.76 does not state that the junior ranks of the service should be consulted on who represents them, it is not out of place for those who make the nomination to ensure that there is some form of consultation.