[ 2019-03-22 ]

President Akuffo-Addo reiterates his resolve to end political Party vigilanties
Accra, March 22, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa
Akuffo-Addo, has reiterated his resolve to end
political party vigilantism in the country.

“I am determined to end acts of political
party vigilantism. Crime is crime. It has no
political colour. The police should act against
any person or group of persons engaged in unlawful
acts.”

President Akuffo-Addo, said this, when he
addressed the 2018 WASSA celebration at the Police
Headquarters, on Friday in Accra.

The celebration was under the theme,
“Consolidating Ideas against Vigilantism for
National Security.”

He continued, “I have tasked the Attorney
General to submit to Parliament as soon as
possible, specific legislation to deal with
vigilantism and provide appropriate
sanctions.”

The President asked for the full support of the
Ghana Police Service in the enforcement of the law
and added, “we owe it to the Ghanaian people
and generations unborn, to ensure the peace and
stability of the country.

He said the issue of law and order was crucial to
ensuring national stability, and the government
would do all within its power to ensure, that the
country had a capable police force.

Touching on other areas, President Akuffo-Addo
said three helicopters were being procured to
facilitate police work in the country, and that in
effect, some selected police personnel were set to
be trained as pilots.

President Akuffo-Addo said as part of measures to
resource the Ghana Police Service, the
construction of a new National Detective Training
Academy in Kenyase Number One within the Brong
Ahafo region, to rival the American equivalent of
the FBI training academy was under way.

“We have promoted 1502 senior police
officers and 18,853 junior officers since I took
office in 2017, with over 2230 in the first
quarter of 2019.”

He said the construction of 320 housing units for
officers at the National Police Training Academy
was also on-going.

President Akuffo-Addo said 4,000 police officers
had been recruited into the service, with 2,000
already under training.

He noted that, “government has so far
supplied 320 vehicles to the police service, with
273 soon to be delivered.

Touching on other areas, the President said police
officers would no longer suffer delays in
promotion adding, “under my administration,
the era when an officer stays more than the
stipulated four years without being promoted is
over.

“Once you are due for promotion, you will be
promoted.”

President Akuffo-Addo, touched on the welfare of
police personnel and said going on a vacation
leave was a right and not a privilege for police
personnel.

He said note had to be taken of the fact that
exhaustion could affect the quality of work, lead
to ill health, and even cause death.

“If the exigencies of work prevent an
officer from going on leave, it must be
rescheduled,” President Akuffo-Addo said.

He noted that Police Public relations was crucial
to effective policing, adding that without
collaboration between the two, effective policing
could not be achieved.

The President touched on some current unpleasant
incidents between some police personnel and
members of the public, and said he was highly
appreciative of the immediate steps which had been
taken by the leadership of the Ghana Police
Service to address and rectify those cases.

He described as a good initiative, a security
leadership development program announced by the
Inspector General of Police, Mr. David
Asante-Apeatu, where workshops were being held for
officers selected from the police and other sister
security agencies under the Ministry of Interior.

“I encourage the Ministry of Interior and
National Security to support the
initiative,” the President said.

He expressed appreciation to the Ghana Police
Service, on behalf of the Government and people of
Ghana, “for the excellent performance you
put up at Tamale, capital of the Northern Region,
on March 6th, 2019, on the occasion of
Ghana’s 62nd Independence Day
Celebration”.

The President described the performances as
outstanding, “especially as this is the
first time the celebration was held outside
Accra”.

President Akuffo-Addo also praised Chief
Superintendent Phylis Ama Tebua Osei, of the Ghana
Police Service, for winning the United Nations
Female Police Officer of the Year Award, for the
year 2018.

He expressed sorrow at this morning’s motor
accident within the Kintampo South District of the
Bono region which claimed about 70 lives, saying,
“last year, I set up an inter-ministerial
committee, composed of Ministers of the Interior,
Roads and Highways and Transport, to examine and
propose measures to deal with increased road
accidents.””

The Committee has concluded its work and made
recommendations for the consideration of the
Police Council, the President said, adding,
“it is my hope that the recommendations
would be speedily acted upon because the need is
urgent.”

Music was provided by the Police Band, with Rev.
Obaapa Christie and Kuami Eugene as special
invited artistes.

The occasion was attended by Ministers of State,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Senior Police and
Military personnel and several other dignitaries.

Source - GNA

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