General News of Sunday, 18 December 2011

Source: --

MTTU to wear white uniform nationwide-ACP Awuni

Tamale, Dec. 18, GNA – Officers of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service would soon be wearing an all white uniform to distinguish them from the other units of the service so as to minimize corruption and extortion on the roads.

Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACP) Agwunbutoge Awuni, National Commander of the MTTU, said the white uniform was to ensure that personnel of the unit were not unnecessarily blamed for the wrongs of other policemen and women who he said were not in the unit yet commit offences that had been blamed on the MTTU.

He noted that because the MTTU personnel were noted to be performing their duties on the roads, anything negative deed that any policeman commits on the road is often been blamed on the MTTU.

ACP Awuni disclosed this in Tamale on Sunday during his tour of the area to raise the morale of his men and women to perform their duties diligently.

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the VVIP Transport, Taxi Drivers Union and other unions operating in the Region were equally represented in the meeting by their leaders where they were advised to ensure road sanity and safety.

ACP Awuni reminded the police personnel to be duty-bound to safe lives by ensuring that drivers comply with road regulations stressing that the Police must not hesitate to prosecute any driver who refuses or disobeys road and traffic regulations.

He expressed disappointment at the rate of interference in the work of the Police in the Northern Region and asked his men and women to be duty conscious and not give in to unlawful demands.

ACP Awuni also called on the transport unions to sensitize their members to abide by driving rules and urged pedestrians to be very careful when on the road saying “40 per cent of the casualties on the road were pedestrians”. Majority of road in Ghana do not have pedestrian paths.

The Northern Regional Commander of the MTTU, Deputy Superintendant of Police (DSP) Godwin Blewushie Cashman, observed indiscipline was high does making the work of the police very tedious.

He also blamed the Attorney Generals Department’s docility for the woes of the Police in the Region.

DSP Cashman stated that despite the numerous challenges facing the personnel such as logistical and personnel, they had done a lot of public education on road safety and were present at all corners to ensure that drivers do the right thing.

He however appealed to the Police high command to resource the unit with logistics.