National Security rescues hungry cops

The National Security, in collaboration with the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, has finally responded to the plight of hundreds of police personnel on peacekeeping operations in the eastern corridor of the Northern Region.

The security personnel have been going hungry since June 1, 2014, following the inability of the various district assemblies to feed them for lack of funds.

Sources intimated DAILY GUIDE that the Northern Regional Police Command was concerned about the welfare of the cops who had been left unfed in various deprived communities in the region.

The respective district assemblies which were expected to take up the responsibility of feeding the peacekeepers, complained that funds were not available due to delays in the release of the arrears of the District Assemblies Common Fund – the major source of funding the peacekeeping operation.

The sorry plight of the police officers compelled them to rely on their colleagues, residents and wild fruits for survival in the communities – a situation which affected their assigned duties in the affected areas.

Chairman of the Northern Regional Security Committee (REGSEC) who doubles as the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, has intimated, however, that funds had been secured to retain the hungry cops at their various duty posts.

He disclosed that disbursement to the various district assemblies would commence today for the upkeep of the cops for at least three more months.

According to him, the issue came to his attention while he was away on official duties in Accra, wondering why heads of the affected districts failed to notify him earlier.

The Northern Regional Police Command, it would be recalled, almost withdrew the services of about 500 personnel on peacekeeping duties in some communities of the region somewhere last week.

This was as a result of the inability of the assemblies to raise enough funds to cater for their daily upkeep, claiming that the assemblies’ Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) were woefully inadequate.

Some of the district assemblies confirmed to DAILY GUIDE that they were no longer able to feed the security personnel due to financial constraints as debtors had been chasing them for huge sums of monies owed them.

They warned that if the central government failed to intervene and the personnel withdrawn, it might have a negative impact on the security situation in the districts.

Northern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ken Yeboah, apparently worried over the reports and condition of his men, contacted the Regional Minister, which resulted in funds being released for the cops.

Personnel on the peacekeeping operation, according to sources, are expected to live on Ghc10 daily but some assemblies, as a result of financial challenges, purportedly reduced the amount to Ghc5, but even that had not been forthcoming.

This is the second time security personnel have gone through this hardship, after a similar one in May 2010, which compelled the then Northern Regional Police Commander, ACP Awuni Angwubotoge, to withdraw his men from Bunkpurugu.