Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has advised the Ghana Police Service (GHS) to sustain and advance professional ethos which has become its trademark in the discharge of duties.
“These, ladies and gentlemen, are the only ways to justify the high expectation, which the leadership and, indeed, the watching nation will be demanding of you in your professional roles as police officers,” he stated.
Dr Bawumia said this when he commissioned the Shukura District Police headquarters in Accra.
The ultramodern facility was funded by Mr Oblitey Commey, a philanthropist.
It will serve residents of Shukura, New Russia, Zabramaline, Mobrouk, Soko, Banana Inn, Latebiokorshie, Tankaseline, Flamengo, Sabozongo, parts of Abbosey Okai and Matehoko.
“It is important for the police to remember the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in 2019 that weekends and public holidays are included in the 48-hour detention period the police have to hold a person without granting bail,” Vice-President Bawumia reminded the personnel.
He said the invaluable place of security as an indispensable tool for sustainable growth and development of any community could not be emphasised enough, thus, the survival of individuals, families, groups and businesses was largely dependent on good security measures put in place for safety and peaceful co-existence.
Dr Bawumia said, “Our government, under the able and dynamic leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has lived up to expectations… Ghana continues to enjoy a good reputation as a peaceful and safe country, with an enviable international image as an oasis of peace.”
He noted that the most recent Global Peace Index ranked Ghana remarkably as the second most peaceful country in Africa and the most peaceful country in West Africa.
The Vice-President said in 2021, the Ghana Police Service had clearance for the recruitment of 5,000 police officers as part of efforts to boost the manpower of the various security agencies.
That, he said, came at a time when there were complaints about rising incidents of violent crimes across the country with the Police Service suffering a personnel deficit.
He appealed the personnel to be accountable and professional to the highest level and reiterated the government’s commitment to their welfare.
“As you might be aware, the sod has been cut for the commencement of Phase III of the Security Forces Housing Units for the Ghana Police Service at the National Police Training School at Tesano in Accra.
“This project of 320 housing units made up of 112 two bedrooms and 208 three bedrooms with a multipurpose sports facility, a community centre and a kindergarten, when completed, will take away pressure from the Training School and some of your relatives, friends or associates will be beneficiaries.”
He commended Mr Commey and urged others to also take up the challenge of building schools, computer labs, clinics, hospitals, modern markets, roads and offer scholarships to needy students.
The Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, said policing was being brought to the doorsteps of the citizenry.
