He stated that government has recently equipped the Service with logistics and is going to do more. He however noted that the state will count on the professionalism of the officers to effectively maintain sanity at Ghana’s borders.

“It has become more compelling than ever to strengthen and streamline the management of our borders considering the prevailing threats of terrorism and other forms of transnational crimes across the world”, he noted.

The Interior said this during a speech at the Cadet Intake X Graduation Parade of the Ghana Immigration Service at the Immigration Service Academy and Training School at Assin Foso in the Central Region.

The graduation saw the passing out of 185 senior officers who had completed a four-month intensive training in various fields of security, governance and management; out of the number, 63 are females.

Stressing the need for professionalism, Ambrose Dery said, “Security operatives of your calibre are expected to be on top and be abreast with modern techniques and best practices globally”.

He reiterated government’s commitment to strengthen the Immigration Service through the provision of requisite logistics and infrastructure.

“I am glad to inform you that the Government has recently provided the Service with ten Toyota Hilux pick-up, twenty All-Terrain-Vehicles (ATVs), and twenty-five motor bikes to enhance its operations”, he proclaimed.

The Interior Minister asked the officers to exhibit a high sense of leadership and supervision at the various duty and command posts.

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Following the upsurge in armed robbery cases in Ghana, Ambrose Dery said government is in the process of acquiring some helicopters to help the police deal with the robbers.

He said government will  procure “about three helicopters… and they will be stationed in Accra with the police and they will help in the backups.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”vsw4DL32sF9yaPdTMyCLFnuSXwp6RM1C”]But speaking on Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, Franklin Cudjoe advised the Minister to shelf such dreams and put the supposed GHc800 million budgetary allocation to the Police Service to better use.

He insists that despite the negligible allocation, the Police could still greatly improve their visibility on the streets to deter criminals.

“We’ve heard about some GHc800 million that will be given, the good thing would have been to find out where the GHc160 million allocated last year went. I can say that it’s useful but that is nothing because it is about 0.2% of the entire budget for the year 2018. The GHc800 million that will come, please we beg the Interior Minister; he should stop entertaining these dreams of helicopters,” Franklin Cudjoe added.

“The police service ought to be properly resourced but when they’ve been so resourced, they shouldn’t use it the way they want. They have to be visible on the streets,” he added.

GHc800m for police

President Akufo-Addo during the State of the Nation Address in February 2018, indicated that government will allocate some GH¢ 800million to the Ghana Police Service to ensure improvement in its operations.

He said the amount will be used for the procurement of modern policing equipment and gadgets including helicopters and drones to enhance the capacity of the service in dealing with crime in the country.

“The police, the prosecution services and the judiciary owe it to all of us to make us feel and be safe. I do not need to repeat that crime wears no political colours, and I am certain that message has gone down to all…The law enforcement agencies will crack down very hard on all those who would disturb the peace of our nation…We will give the Police the resources they need to do their job,” Akufo-Addo added.

‘Wave of robbery’

There appears to be a heightened wave of robbery attacks in the country in recent months with some of the worst cases reported in the last few weeks.

A number of incidents have involved brazen attacks by the robbers on individuals organisations in broad daylight.

A Lebanese was shot and killed at Tema Industrial Area this week with the assailants making away with GHS 200,000 he had withdrawn from a bank minutes earlier

‘We’re in control’

Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has given indications that it is in control of the situation and will go every length to protect the citizenry.

Following the recent developments, the government, together with the various security agencies, announced new steps and directives to address the situation.

The measures include an order for forex bureaus and financial institutions to install CCTV cameras at their workplaces as well as improved police visibility in crime-prone areas.

The top hierarchy of Ghana Police Service has also been reshuffled by the IGP, David Asante-Apeatu with a number of notable changes including George Akuffo Dampare, Director General of Police Operations, being reassigned to head the Police Research and Planning Department.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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This, according to the Minister, will ensure that police officers are not worse off than their counterparts in the military.

Mr. Dery gave this assurance at the one-week observation of the passing of the police officer who was shot dead in last Sunday’s attack on the Kwabenya  Police Station.

“As the IGP said, some provisions have been made for the family of the deceased officer. That provision is not a provision that existed in the past. It is a special provision that was initiated by the President and at the appropriate time the details will be known to the family. But Mr. President is committed to institutionalizing a system that will ensure that when a police officer dies in the line of duty, they are not worse off than their colleagues who die in the army,” the Minister stated.

A gang of suspected armed robbers attacked the Kwabenya District Police Headquarters, which accommodates the Kwabenya Police Station, killing the officer on duty, and freeing cell inmates.

A total of seven inmates were freed but three of them have since been rearrested.

In the latest development, the Accra Police Command has picked up the man believed to have shot the police officer dead and four other suspects.

While emphasizing government’s commitment to making Ghanaians feel safe, the Minister further assured the bereaved family of its commitment to making life easier for them.

“The President’s commitment to make Ghana safe and Ghanaians safe is unshakable and nothing is going to stand in his way of ensuring that.”

The Minister further extended condolences on behalf of the President, saying “Today [Sunday], I’m here on behalf of his excellency the President to express his condolence to the bereaved family and to put on record his appreciation, his admiration, his acknowledgement of the heroism and professionalism. “

He also gave the assurance of the Police Service’s commitment to ensuring that no stone is left unturned in getting the perpetrators of the act to face the law.

“I believe those who followed have realized that a number of suspects have been arrested . They shall be brought to justice and no one should think that they can take the law into their hands.”

State burial for deceased

Meanwhile, the family of the deceased police officer wants the state to honour him with a state funeral.

Spokesperson for the family, Robert Normesinu Ashilevi, who made the request on their behalf at the ceremony to mark a week since his brother’s passing, said the tragic manner in which their breadwinner died necessitates such an honour.

–

By: Marian Ansah & Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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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

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According to the Minister, the country’s current police force consists of 23, 000 officers with a ratio of one to 848, which he added, was well below the United Nations’ minimum ratio of one police officer being responsible for every 5oo citizens.

[contextly_sidebar id=”FLZQbMwSq07ZjRSMHAIuBMcnWR7k4vCo”]He also stated that the police required a total number of 56, 000 officers to cover the entire current population.

“The Ghana Police Service at the time they took office, suffered a personnel deficit. We have a little over 23, 000 personnel. We, therefore, suffer a deficit of 23, 000 and accordingly we do not make the mark of the UN minimum police to population ratio of one to five hundred. In fact, the ratio in Ghana is one to eight hundred and forty-eight,” Ambrose Dery said.

He, however, added that the President was working towards addressing the current deficit while also offsetting the police service’s current challenges to ensure that their security efforts in the meantime aren’t affected greatly.

“The President is taking steps to make sure that this deficit, first is addressed and also to ameliorate the impact of the deficit on the operations and effectiveness on the Ghana Police Service,” he said.

Security challenges

Over the years there have been several complaints from residents in certain parts of the country over the lack of police visibility, leading to increased criminal activities in those areas.

Some communities have even had to build their own police posts and pay to have officers provide some level of security.

There have also been concerns raised about the responsiveness of the police to emergency situations, with inadequate personnel and resources often attributed to delayed police reaction.

Over 14, 000 deployed for X’mas

However, the Police have assured Ghanaians of increased surveillance this festive season with the deployment of 14, 200 police officers across the country to enforce law and order.

Director General of Operations, COP Dr. George Dampare at a media briefing, said some 18,000 officers will continue to perform traditional policing duties to ensure an incident-free festive season.

“We are deploying over 14,200 personnel across the country directly, and specifically for the Christmas and New Year operational duties. At the National operational level, we are putting across 1,200 from the National Operational department, the Counter-terrorism unit, the SWAT unit, RDF, FPU, special protection unit and another specialized unit of the service to go across the country and support all the regional commands and ensure that we bring sanity to our communities,” he said.

The police are also engaging in a number of other proactive measures ahead of the festive season:

• Traffic management policing – Beyond the MTTD personnel on the roads, there are operational police personnel in major points of all the major cities nationwide to ensure the regular flow of vehicular and human traffic.
• Escalating highway patrols – The police are ensuring highway patrols to protect commuters between rural and urban areas travel safely.
• Policing of commercial and entertainment centres – Ensuring uniformed and undercover police presence in major leisure spots to prevent crime.
• Residential area policing – Strengthening policing both in the day and night time within residential areas.
• Anti-land guard policing – Ensuring landowners have their peace of mind.
• Vital installation policing – Policing utilities to ensure activities of citizens are not disrupted.
• Criminal hideout policing – Acting on police intel to keep watch on known criminal hideouts.
• Community engagement – Ensuring the support and cooperation of the public through dialogue with communities and making use of social media reach.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the suspects were shot when they attempted to escape custody, whilst the police conducted a search at one of their hideouts to retrieve weapons.

[contextly_sidebar id=”t1b5SohhiUt9svw10IvyFT6tkjxoWgMb”]He said, police information indicates that, victims of recent robberies identified the two in a recent parade conducted in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.

The shooting and killing of the two sparked riots in the area prompting the Speaker to summon the Interior Minister to the house today [Wednesday].

Addressing MPs, Ambrose Dery said investigations were still underway to determine the full facts of the matter.

Meanwhile, the MP for the area, Muntaka Mubarak, is disputing some of the claims by the Minister.

According to the MP, one of the suspects, Audu Osman, is a man of sound character and could not have been an armed robber

Background

Awudu Osman, also known as Awudu Ninja, was shot and killed by police with his alleged accomplice Lukeman Mohammed, also known as Alfa.

Final funeral rites had been held for both suspects according to Islamic tradition.

Relatives of Osman have intensified their call for justice for the deceased after they had given Government and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) a three-day ultimatum to investigate the death.

The situation prompted the Asawase Member of Parliament, Muntaka Mubarak, to raise the matter on the floor of Parliament, where he requested that the Interior Minister be made to appear before MPs to speak to the matter.

Mr. Muntaka, who was at the funeral on Sunday, reiterated his resolve to get to the bottom of the matter.

“For us, we will continue to pursue till we get justice for him. I mean, the Minister for Interior has Tuesday or Wednesday to come and brief the house, and obviously, I think we will push for an independent investigation so that we don’t leave it to the police, but we will get an independent body to investigate this so we can ascertain the truth.”

The Asawase MP, who later visited the pregnant widow of one of the deceased persons, said she was still traumatized over the incident, and feared her children and other relatives could be stigmatized in the future.

He cautioned the youth to be patient and not to take the laws into their hands. He also urged relatives of the deceased to cooperate with the process in their quest to seek justice for the deceased persons.

The family is yet to get a copy of an autopsy report which was handed to police by doctors on Thursday.

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Killed’ robbery suspects were terrorizing residents – Dery appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The two suspects had reportedly been gunned down by police after they attempted to escape in handcuffs.

[contextly_sidebar id=”K9mfXea8R2uwoZjPhW92DRiOeCtiFbYc”]Devastated relatives of one of the suspects, Awudu Osman, popularly called, Awudu Ninja, have said they will use all legal means to seek justice.

The situation prompted the Asawase Member of Parliament, Muntaka Mubarak, to raise the matter on the floor of the House, where he requested that the Interior Minister be made to appear before MPs to speak to the matter.

According to Muntaka Mubarak, who is also the Minority Chief Whip, he tried, in turn, to contact the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, the Interior Minister and National Security Minister when news broke of the death of his constituents; Awudu Osman and Lookman.

However, after he failed to reach any of them, the incident was finally confirmed to him by a Deputy Interior Minister, who revealed that the handcuffed pair had been aiding the police with their investigations but were shot after they tried to escape.

“After the police had arrested three others, the names of the two were mentioned that they were aiding them with guns. The police went in to arrest them but after a search of their residence, they couldn’t find any guns. They had been in custody as the police tried to get information. They will lead them to an area where the police would search, but find nothing. At the fourth place they went according to the deputy minister, the gentlemen tried to abscond and were shot dead,” Muntaka said.

‘We’ll not get anywhere with the police’    

The MP criticized the police for the incident, suggesting that they had failed to give the suspects fair hearing before a court.

He called on Parliament to take up the matter as he feared the case might not see a suitable resolution if it is left to the police to deal with.

“Is it the court that remanded the [suspects]? How many police went with them and what led to their death? Now the family is really devastated. I want to take this opportunity to request that the House gets the Interior Minister to come to the House, probably next week to brief the House on the circumstances to enable the House take firm decisions. I am worried that if we leave this to the police to investigate we may never get anywhere,” Muntaka added.

Family wants justice

Relatives of Osman maintain that, he was innocent and have vowed to use all legal means to seek justice.

His pregnant widowed wife, 33-year old Humu Musah, could not hold her tears as she narrated that the Police officers who came to search the house tasered her deceased husband, hit him with the butt of their guns and subjected him to severe beatings.

Humu said she fell in the process when the police ordered her to the exact place the weapons were hidden.

She fears she could suffer a miscarriage as a result.

“I have left everything to God. It’s God who will seek vengeance for me. Let’s even put my husband’s death aside, but the inhumane treatment the police subjected me to without considering my condition was pitiful. They pushed me to show where the pistols were and dragged me anyhow. Will they have treated their pregnant wives the same as they did to me? I leave everything to God. He will judge us all” she said.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi & Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The government has been questioned about its commitment to ensuring security in the country, following a recent upsurge in the number of incidents involving political vigilantes across the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”hN6lL5wzehiMIwnEf3sqx7dESOfiCel5″]Several groups of Ghanaian youth, believed to be members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), have gone on rampage in recent months, seizing public toilets and toll booths, locking up state establishments and attacking some state officials.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated his position that the laws of the country will crack the whip on political party vigilante groups, but many have brushed off his comments as usual rhetoric from government.

In response to the growing public dissent, the Interior Minister has now charged the police service to crack down on vigilante groups in a bid to arrest the growing threat.

He has directed the  Police Commanders have to ensure that vigilantes are arrested and put before court or face sanctions.

“The President has made it clear, and I have repeated it time without number that we must arrest all those who breach the law without any exception; regardless of party colour and regardless of position. The police’s job is to make sure that they enforce the law. They don’t need to be told, but we have a President who has said that they must do so. Let me make it clear that now if there is vigilantism in any part of the country, the police in that area must either arrest the perpetrators, investigate and bring them before justice or the Commander must be sanctioned” Ambrose Dery said whilst addressing the Central Regional Police Command at Cape Coast on Tuesday.

“If there is any vigilantism is in your area, you must investigate and bring them to book otherwise the commander of that area – be it the village, district or regional commanders – must be sanctioned, we must stop it. When incidents occur, you either tell us you’ve arrested the perpetrators and are investigating or you are sanctioned. Whoever it is that’s supposed to sanction but doesn’t do so, will be sanctioned as well. We don’t want any more stories.”

A number of critics have accused the government of failing to ensure the perpetrators of vigilantism are sanctioned, with many suggesting that even the ones who are arrested and prosecuted are “treated with kid gloves.”

They have cited several instances of persons arrested for political vigilantism who are eventually let go with minimal punishments, including the Delta Force 13 who were fined GHc 1,800 each after being charged with rioting, despite assaulting the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator.

However, Ambrose Dery insisted that the government was committed to letting the police go about their duties without any interference.

“We’ll not interfere in the operational decisions, but we will stop vigilantism. We are not going to hold back,“ he said.

The Minister admitted that, despite the efforts by the police in fighting crime, if vigilantism is not dealt with, it has the potential to negatively affect all the good policies of government such as the One District-One Factory policy.

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) does not condone such actions.

Citi News has reported on 18 separate violent attacks perpetrated by pro-NPP groups since the beginning of the NPP administration, the latest being the forceful locking up of some offices at the Karaga District Assembly by some NPP youth.

[contextly_sidebar id=”34zupdZaIuYhuO4jyUKaxdd3YCwYq7RM”]Many have accused the police of reneging on their responsibility in dealing with the surge in such cases.

But speaking to Citi News, Mr. Derry said the police in collaboration with the government, are committed to dealing with these lawless acts head-on.

“…What I can say with pride is that, we are not condoning any actions,” he added.

Ambrose Dery also defended the paltry GHc1,800 fine slapped on each of the 13 members of pro-NPP group, Delta Force, who were hauled before a Kumasi court, after they were captured on a video manhandling the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei.

We prosecuted Delta Force 13 although they’re NPP – Dery

Mr. Dery believes government has exhibited ample commitment towards the fight against political party vigilantism in the country, considering that they did not shield the 13 members of the pro-NPP vigilante group, Invincible Forces, but rather allowed them to go through the court process.

He noted that “…Vigilantism is real, and the Akufo-Addo government hasn’t run away from it.”

“…Vigilantism is real, and the Akufo-Addo government hasn’t run away from it. This is the government that has taken people that are known as its supporters and sent to court, they went through due process, they were convicted and they were sentenced.

“I’ve heard people say that the sentences are not harsh enough, but let’s put it in context. The law in the kind of offences they were charged with encourages reconciliation and settlements outside. If you put it in that context, we didn’t even allow a settlement of the matter which would have still been within the law. We sent it there, and it’s not our remit. It’s the remit of the judiciary, and the judiciary has taken a decision – they have been convicted, they have been sentenced… so we need to go beyond mere criticism to find out what are the legal limitations in sentencing. What are the considerations in sentencing; but what I can say with pride is that, we are not condoning any actions,” he explained.

He also called on the public to expose politicians believed to be behind these acts, and further warned the youth to be law abiding.

–

By: Godwin A. Allotey & Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The 13, who were prosecuted for assaulting the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator in March 2017 in protest against his appointment, were finally sentenced to a fine of Ghc1,800 each, and made to sign a bond of good behaviour.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Ytv0r2cDLFHEAgUKYWMvtO22Peg5Fl8v”]This was after their charges were reviewed from assaulting a public officer and causing unlawful damage to rioting.

It would be recalled that, during the trial, the 13 suspects were freed from open court allegedly by their colleagues, who were angered by the decision of the judge at the time to remand them into police custody.

The 13 suspects later turned themselves in to the court, and were made to sign a bond of good behaviour, and fined Ghc2,400 cedis each.

But under rather bizarre circumstances, the eight persons who raided the court, were freed for lack of evidence, a development that was widely condemned, considering the threat that action posed to the judiciary.

Following these developments, many have described the fines slapped on the 13 as weak, and a subtle attempt by the government to ensure that the culprits who are members of the ruling party do not spend time in jail.

Mr. Dery however downplayed these suggestions, insisting government prosecuted the 13 Delta Force members although they are believed to be members of the NPP.

He said the government cannot be blamed for the sentence handed to them by the judiciary.

“…Vigilantism is real, and the Akufo-Addo government hasn’t run away from it. This is the government that has taken people that are known as its supporters and sent to court, they went through due process, they were convicted and they were sentenced.

“I’ve heard people say that the sentences are not harsh enough, but let’s put it in context. The law in the kind of offences they were charged with encourages reconciliation and settlements outside. If you put it in that context, we didn’t even allow a settlement of the matter which would have still been within the law. We sent it there, and it’s not our remit.  It’s the remit of the judiciary, and the judiciary has taken a decision – they have been convicted, they have been sentenced… so we need to go beyond mere criticism to find out what are the legal limitations in sentencing. What are the considerations in sentencing; but what I can say with pride is that, we are not condoning any actions,” he explained.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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