Disquiet among police officers over special treatment for fallen soldiers – Analyst

There is disquiet among some police personnel in the country over what they claim to be discrimination against them by the government, a security analyst Adam Bonah has alleged.

According to him, most of the rank and file of the Ghana Police are not happy about the level of recognition given to soldiers who die in the line of duty as against their personnel who suffer similar fate.

“…the rank and file of the police, most of them I have spoken to are not happy about the way they have been discriminated against,” he Mr Bona claimed on 3FM Sunrise morning show Thursday while commenting on the statue erected in memory of the murdered soldier Maxwell Mahama.

Major Mahama, a member of the 5th Infantry of the Ghana Armed Forces who was on official duty, was lynched at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017 when some residents mistook him for an armed robber.

A part of his body was set ablaze. His body was retrieved filled with marks of assault including multiple deep cut wounds on the head, the Police said.

His murder reignited calls for an end to instant mob justice which was becoming rampant across the country and led to the death of a number of people.

The statue built in honour of Maj Mahama at Airport Hills roundabout
Maj. Mahama was given a state burial and government resolved to cater for his wife and two children with the establishment of Major Mahama Trust Fund which is currently before parliament.

To commemorate the two years anniversary of his death, government on Wednesday May 29, erected a statue at the Airport Hills roundabout in Accra in honour of the slain soldier and to reinforce the campaign against mob injustice in Ghana.

But Mr Bonah claims some personnel of the Ghana Police are not happy that their colleagues who die in line of duty are not given such recognition.

In his view, it will be just for government to put up statues for police personnel who have died in the line of duty, just as it has been done for the late major Mahama

He made specific reference to Emmanuel Ashilevi, a policeman who was killed while at post at the Kwabenya Police Station on January 21, 2018, and called for a statue to be erected in his honour.

Chief Inspector Emmanuel Ashilevi, was promoted to ASP posthumously.

He was killed while on night duty at the Kwabenya police station by a gang of armed men who stormed the station to free seven suspects in custody.

Mr. Bonah suggested the erection of a statue for ASP Ashilevi at the Kwabenya roundabout and a fund set aside for all police personnel who lose their lives in the line of work.

“If you ask me, what I will be looking at should be probably if you go to the Kwabenya roundabout, they should have a statue of him around there. Probably that will motivate other police officers to know that I won’t just die like that. Once they see it, they will believe that their memories will forever remain,” he said.

The security analyst added it would be proper for government to institute these measures if it wants to boost the morale of police officers.

He underscored the need “to handle some of these issues well. You don’t want to have disgruntled police officers fighting crime”.