The Democratic forum has congratulated the newly Inspector General of Police and charged on him to make police recruitments transparent and investigate all police brutalities.
The President yesterday announced the appointment of an acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) in the person of Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to replace James Oppong-Boanuh.
In the same release, the announcement of an acting Director of Prison Service was made in the person of Isaac Kofi Egyir to replace Patrick Darko Missah.
The Forum in a press statement issued in Accra and signed by its Executive Director, Dr Frank Amoakohene congratulated the two outgoing officers for their services rendered to the Ghanaian people and wish them well in their subsequent endeavors.
Beyond the applause, Dr Frank Amoakohene stated that “unfortunately under the outgoing administration, some ills occurred which we wish to point out and also caution the incoming to be watchful of and institute measures to mitigate same.”
First of the issues has to do with the secrecy that surrounds recruitment of officers into service as they called on the new leaders to conduct “this singular responsibility under their watch with all sincerity and transparency to ensure that the right persons and for that matter, all Ghanaian youth are given the opportunity to join the service”.
The other issue of concern to them is the “various police brutalities that occurred under the watch of the outgoing IGP. These issues were neither investigated nor brought to any meaningful conclusion. They include the recent Kumasi Girls incident, Ejura Killings, Techiman South, Ablekuma Central, and other election-related brutalities”.
Indeed, Article 13(1) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution (as amended through 1996) dictates that
“No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally except in the exercise of the execution of a sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana of which he has been convicted.”
“To restore confidence in the police service, the new leadership must open investigations into these crucial matters of public interest and make public the findings of all such brutalities. We have no doubt that the two new appointees shall work in the interest of the people and restore hope in the noble service”, they submitted.
Story by Edzorna Francis Mensah
