Disenchantment Sweeps Through Police Service

Morale is at its lowest ebb and there is growing disillusionment amongst some policemen, The Independent can reveal. This bitterness, which The Independent has found out, is a result of non promotion of some officers who are long overdue, has so much demoralized a batch of policemen stationed at the Brong Ahafo regional capital, that it has largely affected their output.

Speaking to The Independent on condition of anonymity, source, who was visibly troubled by the current situation of the men in black at the B/A capital, indicated that as is the normal practice, there is a general promotion of policemen each year to senior ranks after they have been made to take promotion exams.

He continued that policemen are qualified to take the examinations after they have been of a particular rank for a period of five years, by which time they would be due for promotion according to laid down procedure in the police service. This notwithstanding, he stated that a particular batch of policemen, who are currently at the rank of Corporal, have been given a raw deal, as the system of promotion, which is widely known amongst policemen in the country has not been made operational in their case.

According to sources, the batch of policemen who feel slighted and demoralized, have been at the rank of Corporal for close to seven years but have not been given the opportunity to prove their mettle for promotion. He explained that contrary to their expectation, the same batch (1998) that was recommended for promotion during the tenure of former Inspector General of Police, Nana Owusu Nsiah, and were indeed promoted, have been recommended again this year to their chagrin, whilst they have been left out.

This means that the batch ahead of the grieving batch of policemen would be promoted twice, whilst the latter stay put at their current rank of Corporal instead of moving up to Sergeant, a situation our source views as deliberate. But as the issue of promotion boggs the service, a section of the personnel in other parts of the country has also expressed their disenchantment over a number of issues, ranging from accommodation through salary increment to lack of police uniforms.