Ghana Police to focus on image cleansing in 2010
The Ghana Police Service has announced that it has earmarked this year for rigorous image cleansing to weed out miscreants from its fold.
It said: “for this reason, Intelligence Units are picking information on miscreants within all formations including the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) and appropriate sanctions will be meted out to defaulting personnel to serve as a deterrent to others”.
Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye, Inspector General of Police (IGP) made the announcement at the end-of-year party and awards ceremony of the MTTU in Accra on Friday.
The IGP said the Police Administration was conducting training and retraining exercises with a special focus on capacity building in areas where personnel were found to be deficient.
He said but for few actions of incorrigible individuals in the MTTU which accounted for the Service’s poor performance rating and placement in the corruption index, the entire Service was and remained a credible institution adding, the Administration was determined to maintain it.
“You must remember that it takes just a single act to damage the corporate image of the Service but it will take the collective actions of all of us and over a period of time to cleanse that tarnished image. Let us win back our prestige and respect from the public through hard work, honesty and sincerity” the IGP said.
He said the Service would therefore, put special emphasis on Police Public Relations, integrity, professional etiquette and the equitable application of the tenets of democracy.
He observed that despite efforts, road accidents continued to be on the increase and challenged the MTTU to intensify its efforts at addressing the issue.
The IGP said there was the need for coordination among stakeholders in enforcing road safety regulations and called for a reciprocal service support from all partners in road traffic management.
He questioned why “in the 21st century, Police will not be able to access vehicle registration information in a Police Office but will have to obtain it on paper only from the DVLA after several hours or days on request.
“It also beats my imagination that Police have been enforcing motor vehicle insurance regulations for decades without reciprocal contribution to our logistical needs from the Insurance Companies” he said.
He commended the MTTU for its excellent contribution towards reducing vehicular congestion in the cities.
He assured that the Police high command was working round the clock to secure the facilities, amenities and conditions that would help uplift the spirits and morale of personnel.
Mr. Daniel Avorga, National Commanding Officer of the MTTU, said the Unit faced challenges such as inadequate manpower and vehicles to facilitate patrols and supervision, inadequate communication equipment among others which were hampering its efficiency.
Mr Avorga said despite this, the Unit had generated GH¢397,646.4 through prosecutions of road traffic offences into the consolidated fund.
He gave the provisional accident statistics for 2009 as 12,565 cases out of which 1,587 resulted deaths and 9,767 in injuries.
He promised an improved performance by the MTTU this year.
Source: GNA