POLICE URGED TO CONTINUE WITH GOOD WORK (PAGE 14)

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior has assured personnel of the Ghana Police Service that it will work hard to ensure that they are provided with the needed logistics and infrastructure.
It said the immediate priority would be the provision of adequate residential and office accommodation to make them confortable to deliver in an efficient and effective manner.
Alhaji Abukari Samani, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North, who is also the Ranking Member of Defence and Interior gave the assurance in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region on Thursday.
He noted that “your efforts at combating crime even under difficult conditions has been noticed and we commend you for that”.
Alhaji Samani who was contributing to an interactive meeting between the select committee and a section of the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Command, however, urged the police not to be downhearted in the face of the challenges but rather continue with their good work.
The 12-member delegation of the committee, led by its Chairman, Mr Eugene Atta Agyapong, the MP for Abetifi, was in the region for a two-day working visit.
“Your welfare is the concern of the committee and it is of paramount importance to members. We understand your work very well and so we will do our best to ensure that the challenges that you face are addressed”, Alhaji Samani assured.
He said the police personnel could only succeed in the discharge of their duties if they co-operated well with the civilian population, especially those who provide them with information that lead to the arrest of persons with questionable and suspicious characters, adding that, “you will make your work very difficult if you fail to co-operate with the public who leak information to you”.
On the forthcoming elections, Alhaji Samani urged the police not to interfere with the voting at the polling stations because the police were only there to maintain law and order while the people were left to decide on who they wanted to vote for.
“For the sake of mother Ghana, it is important that you remain neutral in discharging your duties, even though you may have your individual choices”.
“Please do Ghana proud by ensuring a free, transparent and peaceful elections, don’t allow the polling stations to be turned into a free for all flight. Do not allow yourselves to be seen as pillars of fear by your appearance anywhere you are but let the people see that you are always there to protect them”, Alhaji Samani emphasised.
Alhaji Samani’s comments came shortly after the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seth Charles Oteng, had briefed the committee members about the operations of the command, which he said, was characterised by numerous of problems and challenges, including the low number of personnel, inadequate residential and office accommodation, among other challenges.
The MP for Ho Central, Captain George Mfojoh (retd), in his contribution appealed to the police to ensure that remand prisoners were given a fair and speedy trial by making sure that dockets on their cases were ready.
By so doing you will prove your critics wrong that you throw the dockets away or destroy them for rewards from contending parties” he said.
Asked why the police were still not wearing their badges and name tags, the Regional Commander explained that the national headquarters was yet to give them out.
The committee also visited the Three Garrison Brigade (3BN) at Yawhimah, near Sunyani, where they were briefed by the Officer Commanding , Lt.Col. Michael Ayisi Amoah, and other senior officers about the operations of the command and the challenges.