IGP Cautions Ghanaians

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Paul Tawiah-Quaye has called on the general public, especially the mass media, to desist from accommodating and shielding of refractory personnel of the Ghana Police Service and unnecessarily supporting them against their superior authorities.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Police Service expressed this discontent of the phenomenon gaining currency in the service, over the weekend during an interaction with The Informer.

According to Mr. Paul Quaye, it is bad precedent and completely unacceptable behaviour on the part of the media and some politicians, to have resolved to lend support to policemen who have been punished or made to face the full rigors of the law, per the service’s code of ethics, rules and regulations for committing various degrees of offenses.

“Every police officer who have been duly commissioned into the service and with the mandate to enforce law and order as required of the police institution, is fully aware of the dos and don’ts; and knows what constitutes violation of the laws of the service”, the IGP pointed out, and says, it’s very sad that they have in recent times use the media to do their bidding, when fall foul with the law and get punished.

The IGP says, the Police administration of which he is the current head, will not punish its servicing officers when they have not committed any crime, and so, the decision of the media and some politicians to, on constant basis attack those at the helm of police affairs, particularly, him, whenever a police officer is made to dance to the tune of the music per the law , should amend their stand; and with immediate effect desist from raining unwarranted attacks on authorities.

“ I will not sit with my arms folded and watch, whiles the rights of the men under my control are trampled upon, but I will come to the aid of every police officer who needs my help; that notwithstanding, I will all time ensure that the laws of the service are strictly adhered to”, Mr. Paul Tawiah-Quaye indicated.

“The police administration will not penalized its personnel when they have not committed any crime or gone contrary to the laws of the police institution, not at all”; the IGP added, and says he will always strive to maintain discipline in the service and does not care whoever may be affected in that process. The IGP however re-asserted his avowed position of reforming the Ghana police service and purging it of scoundrels. He vows not to be sidetracked by unjustifiable attacks on his person and that of his lieutenants, as recently witnessed in the works of some media houses and politicians.

Very determined to fighting the crime and reducing its tempo to the lowest minimum, Mr. Paul Quaye assured Ghanaians of adequate security during the Yule-tide (Christmas), and says the police administration have put in place measures to deal with any emerging crime situation.

He, however, called on the general public to be vigilant, assist the police and most importantly, to be law-abiding, so to ensure the Yule-tide is celebrated in a complete atmosphere of peace, unity and in harmony.