By: Nicholas Osei-Wusu
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare, has observed that, the continuous tagging of the Ghana Police Service as the most corrupt institution in the country is not just demoralizing its personnel in performing to their optimal professional best, but also seriously undermining the legitimacy of the Service in discharging its core mandate of maintaining order, tranquility, peace and security in the society.
According to Dr. Akuffo-Dampare, even though the Ghana Police Service is currently rated as the 2nd best in Africa among its peers, the name-calling of the Service is influencing public perception that it is unprofessional resulting in mistrust and waning loss of confidence.
He indicated that, at the right time, the Service will release a response to challenge credibility of all the research outcomes that have negatively labeled the Police Service.
The IGP expressed the concern in Kumasi at a public lecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
The Lecture was the second in a series of such intellectual fora that seek to provoke public debate and shape pertinent national issues.
It forms part of activities commemorating a year-long celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST.
The event was patronized by members of the university’s community, police personnel from the national headquarters and Ashanti regional Command, traditional leaders and a cross section of the public.
Speaking on the topic: “The Changing Face of Policing in Ghana; Expectations and the Role of the University Community”, the Inspector General of Police, IGP took the participants through the past, present and future of the Ghana Police Service starting from the colonial era.
Dr. Akuffo-Dampare said despite the good works the Police Service has and continues to do in protecting public peace, its integrity and mandate is being undermined with a constant tag as a corrupt institution that is affecting its legitimacy in the discharge of its mandate.
“We’ve never said there are not a couple of individuals who are doing things a corrupt way tarnishing the image of the service.
But we’ll never accept the tag as the most corrupt institution in the country, we’ll never accept that”, the IGP emphasized.
Despite such discouraging tendencies, the IGP disclosed that his administration is focused on instituting pragmatic and strategic policy interventions to ensure that the prevailing relative peace and stability will be sustained.
Two such proactive measures, he noted, are the cultivation of a pool of informants across the country and a tactical ‘Hotspot Policing’ in selected parts of the country.
Mr. Akuffo-Dampare disclosed “the pool of informants which we’ve commercialized, and what I call Cash and Carry, when you bring information and it’s authentic, we operationalize the information and we get the results, come for one thousand up to 50 thousand because that is how creative we are and we’ll protect you.”
The IGP said alongside prioritization of personnel’s welfare while in active service and on retirement, administrative measures are being put in place to enforce professionalism with reward and punishment schemes.
Dr. Akuffo-Dampare commended the KNUST for being an impactful on local and national development since its establishment.
The Vice Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Mrs. Rita Dickson, noted that ensuring a safe and secured society has always been a shared responsibility among all hence the commitment of the KNUST to support the Ghana Police Service to achieve its core mandate.
On behalf of the KNUST, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mrs. Rita Dickson presented a gift to the IGP as a memorabilia of his participation in the university’s 70th anniversary participation.
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