The Minority in Parliament is mounting pressure on the NPP-Government to address the security lapses in the country in order to reduce crime rates and protect citizens.
This comes after a policeman was shot and killed by some armed robbers at James Town in Accra on Monday, June 14th 2021.
Speaking to the issue at a press briefing, the Ranking Member to the Defence and Interior Comitee, Mr James Agalga noted that a number of police officers have been killed in similar fashion.
He said although officers are supposed to undertake specie duties in bullion vans, the police authorities have failed to enforce the law to ensure that bullion vans in use meet the legal and Bank of Ghana’s specifications.
“In simple terms, a bullion van is supposed to be a bullet proof vehicle that will ensure the safety and security of Escorts as well as the money being carted,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the death of the police officers on such duties and loss of properties were preventable.
Mr James Agalga stated that While the Bank of Ghana gave a moratorium ending July 2023, the Inspector-General of Police, through a statement issued by the Director of the Police Public Affairs Department, on the James Town robbery gave the end of June 2021 for the Association of Bankers to either provide fortified armoured vehicles for carting money lest the
police withdraws its officers from such escort duties.
He said the directive of the IGP is in direct contravention to that of the regulator, Bank of Ghana.
“We are therefore calling on the Inspector-General of Police and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to reconsider their confhcting positions and work as a team in the interest of national peace and security,” he said.
He was of the view that Ghanaians no longer feel safe under the second term of President Nana Addo Dankqa Akufo-Addo, as compared to the immediate past.
“We do understand that the Ghana Police Service is clotted with many pensioners who are either on contract or extension of service. We agree that giving contracts to officers after they hit the mandatory retirement age of 60 is the prerogative of the president but if government decisions do not produce the results that citizens expect, the peace and security that we so desire, we will become spectators and not citizens if we fail to raise the red flag,” he said.
Mr Agalga continued that, “Citizens’ trust for the Police must not be allowed to break. We are calling on His Excellency the President, Chairman of the National Security Council, Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces to demonstrate leadership to ensure the peace and security of a country that has remained the oasis of peace in a troubled region is not compromised.”
Ghana l Atinkaonline.com l Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
