Ghana police urged to give equal protection to all political parties
The Director-General of the Community Policing Unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Habiba Twumasi-Sarpong has urged police officers to provide a level playing field for the political parties during their campaigns to promote peace and unity.
ACP Twumasi-Sarpong said the Police, as a state security institution, had to ensure that political leaders and their supporters were given equal opportunity to conduct their campaigns without intimidation from any quarters.
The Director-General was addressing the officers and men of the Agona Swedru Divisional Police Command at the West Africa Security Services Association (WASSA) get-together, at Swedru.
She advised them to endeavour to stay neutral, as their institution was non partisan, to win the trust of all the political parties.
The Director-General said the November 7 polls must be peaceful to enable Ghana to sustain its democratic governance and economic development.
She asked the police personnel to, therefore, exhibit a level of professionalism in their engagement with the people to erase the erroneous and negative perceptions the pubic might hold against them.
The Police must cooperate with public, she emphasised, because the two sides had to work together to fight social vices and criminal activities in every community.
She explained that a healthy flow of information from the public would make their work more successful and impactful.
They should thus handle information discreetly and employ professionalism in the arrest of suspects.
Police Chief Superintendent Ahmed Issah Yakubu, the Agona Swedru Divisional Commander, appealed to corporate bodies, and well-to-do citizens of Agona Swedru and the adjoining districts, to help complete the abandoned Police buildings, started in 1972, under the Acheampong regime.
He asked the Agona West, Agona East and Gomoa East District Assemblies to also contribute their quota towards to the completion of the project, which comprise offices and flats for officers.
Mr Samuel Oppong, the MCE for Agona West, Mr Francis Duodu Addo, and Mr Moses Jehu-Appiah District Chief Executives for Agona East and Gomoa East, respectively, each pledged 100 bags of cement to support the completion of the buildings.
Source: GNA