Government in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited is embarking nationwide disinfection exercise to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at premises of the Ghana Police Service.
The exercise is ensuring that all police training schools (depots), police stations, barracks and their markets, offices, cells among other installations are disinfected.
Launching the exercise late last year, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, underscored that the fumigation and disinfection exercise has become very crucial, following the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The project started in Ahafo Region on Monday and it is expected to be carried out in all the 16 regions of Ghana.
The Deputy Regional Police Commander for Ahafo Region, ACP Andrews Boadu-Ekumah, said the region is set to prosecute offenders of COVID-19 safety protocols.
According to him, police took this initiative after the Kenyasi court warned and set free 26 law-breakers who were sent to the court for offences in relation to COVID-19 safety protocols.
He spoke to journalists in the Ahafo Regional capital, Goaso after the government in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, embarked on a two-day disinfection and fumigation exercise in 50 police facilities in the region.
The places disinfected in the region are police barracks, police stations, officers, rented apartments, cells and police vehicles used in operations.
Mr Boadu-Ekumah said the Inspector General of Police through the regional police Commander DCOP Dr Ernest Kwabena Owusu saw the need that “if we are not strong we would not be able to enforce the safety protocols and protect lives and property, hence the exercise.”
He said through the effort of the police, the people of Ahafo region are adhering to the various safety protocols and those who prove recalcitrant would be dealt with iron hands.
ACP Boadu-Ekumah said none of the personnel in the region has tested positive for COVID-19 and there are measures in place to ensure that those in police cells are protected while temperatures of those arrested for detention are checked.
He said there are speedy trials of cases and those whose offences are bailable receive prompt bails.
The disinfection and fumigation exercise took place in the following areas; Regional police Headquarters, Divisional police headquarters and District.
Others are Akrodie Police Station, Asumura Police Station, Fawohoyadin Police Station, Ayomso Police Station, Mim Police Station, Gambia No 2 Police Station and Kasapin Police Station.
The Zonal Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited in the Ahafo Region, Mr Edward Ziddah said the office have deployed 30 to 40 personnel to disinfect over 50 police facilities in the region.
Mr Ziddah said since the break out of the deadly COVID-19, none of the spraying guards or workers of Zoomlion in the region has tested positive to the virus.
He called on households, churches, companies to engage with Zoomlion to disinfect their facilities and called on citizens to abide by all the safety protocols.
Background
The Police-Zoomlion National disinfection exercise was launched in 2020 at the National Police Training School, Tesano in Accra to ensure that all police training schools (depots), police stations, barracks and their markets, offices, cells among other installations are disinfected.
Launching the exercise, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, underscored that the fumigation and disinfection exercise has become very crucial, following the Covid-19 global pandemic.
He was particularly happy for the long-standing relationship and collaboration between the Police Administration and Zoomlion Ghana Limited,
Zoomlion Ghana Limited over the years IGP indicated, has partnered the Police Service in several clean-up exercises across the country saying, the results have been overwhelming.
Mr Oppong-Boanuh explained that the exercise was one of the measures put in place by the central government to ensure that COVID-19 frontline workers and their families are protected while discharging their statutory duties.
