The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reiterated the support of Government for the recent actions taken by the acting Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare, which are eliciting strong backing from the population.
Addressing the graduation ceremony of the 50th Officer Cadet Course of the Ghana Police Service, on Friday, 1st October 2021, at Tesano, in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said the acting IGP “has, so far, vindicated my decision to repose trust in him to hold this high office.”
According to the President “I am confident that, once the necessary processes are completed, which I am sure will be soon, he will become our nation’s 23rd Inspector General of Police.”
Touching on the recent incidents of violent crimes in some parts of the country, that have generated safety and security concerns from several sections of the public, he assured Ghanaians that the Police Service, and, indeed, all the other security services, are determined to deal decisively with the threats posed by dangerous criminals and criminal syndicates.
“We can help them succeed in this endeavour if we urge the Police and the other security services on, and give them as much support and co-operation in the fight as we can,” he said.
In his address, President Akufo-Addo stated that the most important things for a nation are the peace and safety of its people, and its territorial integrity.
Quoting from Article 200 (3) of the Constitution states, which states that “the Police service shall be equipped and maintained to perform its traditional role of maintaining law and order”, the President explained that the ultimate goal of this provision is to ensure explicitly that the ordinary citizen feels safe, and can go about his or her everyday life, free from the fear of crime and insecurity.
“The Police Service is further mandated by the Police Service Act, 1970 (Act 350) to prevent and detect crime, apprehend offenders, and maintain the safety of persons and property,” he said.
The President continued, “The effective execution of this mandate is premised on building a professional police service that is accountable, responsive, transparent, trustworthy, and which accommodates the concerns of the general public that it serves. We want to go back to the good old days of policing where people felt that all the efforts of the police were geared towards making their lives more comfortable.”
Citing the 2020 Global Peace Index Report, compiled and released by the Institute of Economics and Peace, which ranks Ghana as the second most peaceful country in sub-Saharan Africa, after Mauritius, he stated that such a positive global outlook identifies Ghana as a peaceful destination for sound investments, adding that all Ghanaians, including the police and the citizenry, should be encouraged by such an assessment.
Whilst Government does its utmost to equip, resource and retool the Police Service, he indicated that it is important that discipline prevails throughout the Service.
“This is a charge I give the acting Inspector General of Police and the entire Police Administration. Without discipline and effective supervision, winning public confidence and support to fight crime will be very problematic. The prevention and detection of crime are a shared responsibility between the police and the public, and mutual respect, confidence and support are required to achieve these goals,” President Akufo-Addo said.
To the new Cadet Officers, the President urged them to step out as agents of change, as the training they have undergone should have imbibed in them the values of commitment to discipline, duty, hard work and integrity.
“I am hopeful that you will bring to bear the knowledge you have acquired to project positively the image of the Police Service. Discharge your responsibilities professionally, and live above reproach,” the President said.
