[ 2016-11-16 ]

Tell Mahama you're being intimidated – Aning to Police
There is the need for the Ghana Police Service to
show the president of Ghana documented evidence of
political interference in its work, which is
preventing them from acting proactively in dealing
with political violence, Dr Kwesi Aning, a
security analyst at the Kofi Annan International
Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC), has
said.

According to him, there are many incidents
depicting how politicians across the divide have
interfered in the work of the police, preventing
them from doing their work without fear and
intimidation.

His comments follow criticism of the Ghana Police
Service by President John Mahama over the clash
that occurred between supporters of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic
Congress (NDC) while the two groups embarked on a
health walk simultaneously on Sunday. The clash
occurred near the Nima residence of the
presidential candidate of the NPP, resulting in
stones allegedly being thrown at the house of the
three-time candidate for the main opposition
party.

Mr Mahama said during a meeting with some labour
unions at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday November
15, that: “Only last Saturday we almost had a
clash which was unfortunate. If any of those
firearms had been fired and someone had dropped
dead it would have been a completely different
story. I think we should be preventive enough in
our actions to prevent such things. ...I think
that the police at Nima should have been better
briefed knowing that this group was passing
through and then we should have taken appropriate
safeguards to ensure that such a thing doesn’t
happen.”

But speaking in an interview with Chief Jerry
Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on
Wednesday November 16, Dr Aning said: “It will
be good for the Police Council to meet and say,
‘Guys, what is it that is preventing us from
working?’ and then for the Police Service to
bring a 50- or 100-page document showing instances
of political interference and meddling across the
country and the impact of such meddling on the
profession.”

“There are cases where police officers have done
what is right, the case has gone to court and the
officers involved have been intimidated to
withdraw the cases from court. And the anguish of
the president gives space to the police also to
now inform His Excellency with documentary
evidence that, ‘This is what your people are
doing on the ground, and this is what the people
have previously done on the ground and this is
what is leading to the culture of fear and
unwillingness to proactively intervene, that is
where the challenge is.”

Source - Classfmonline

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