The Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, has indicated that the state has not lost control of the country’s security situation, following the recent killing of a police officer at the Kwabenya District Police Headquarters and other incidents.
A gang of suspected armed robbers on Sunday dawn attacked the Kwabenya District Police Headquarters, which accommodates the Kwabenya Police Station, killing an officer on duty, and freeing seven cell inmates.
[contextly_sidebar id=”Cnu4ExAyzwWwdrcb2DYyoxPD0vUrxfjf”]Following the incident, many have questioned the quality of the country’s security, as the police station in question lacked a basic equipment such as a Close Circuit Television, CCTV.
Many have largely blamed inadequate resource and logistics for the inability of the police to provide the needed security.
Briefing the media after a five hour crucial meeting between Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, the Police Command led by the IGP and other government officials, Mr. Dery said these recent developments do not in anyway suggest that government has lost its grip over the security situation in the country.
“There are challenges with our security and we will deal with it. Has government lost control over security ?No. Can we do better? Yes…And we are going to work together to deal with the issue” he said.
Mr. Dery also pointed out that, government will apprehend suspects involved in the Kwabenya incident, saying “the Police are on top of it. They are investigating it. They are making progress. We believe we will get back the people who have perpetrated it and we will deal with it.”
“I believe we need to confront the situation. How can we make it better. We have to work together and see how several ministries can come together. We need to deal with it. We have to get a sustainable way of dealing with it,” he added.
Gov’t condemns Kwabenya attack, assures Ghanaians of security
On Tuesday, the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, also assured that persons involved in the incident will be arrested to face the law.
“First of all, government condemns the criminal conduct of these elements in the strongest possible terms. There is a manhunt for these criminal elements and we have no doubts in our minds that they will be brought to face justice.
“Government takes this opportunity to express its deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased policeman… While this is one of the isolated incidents that have unsettled the Ghanaian population, we wish to continue to assure the Ghanaian people that the security agencies are working to ensure the general safety of the population. The preventive mechanism of the Police Service remains intact which helps to nip such occurrences in the bud before they become full blown criminal activities.”
There have been several robbery incidents in many parts of the country, and also cases of political party vigilantism appear not to have stopped, a year after the New Patriotic Party [NPP] came into office.
Between 2016, 2017 and January 2018, 17 police officers have lost their lives in their line of duty. The total number of deaths from 2013 to date, is 48.
Alleged NPP thugs ransack Wa MCE’s residence
Between December 2016 and 2017, Citi News recorded over 20 separate cases of political party violence.
On Sunday, January 2018, some thugs believed to be aligned to the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) in the Wa municipality of the Upper West Region, ransacked and vandalized the private residence of the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Issahaku Moomin Tahiru.
The rampaging youth also vandalized the family house of the MCE and two other houses belonging to his supporters.
The incident happened at Wa Zongo around 3:00pm. The MCE, who is said to be the target of the weapon- wielding rampaging youth, was out of his house at the time of the incident.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana