Of Science, Security and Police (2)

Summary:
(1) Safe-guarding Public treasury:
(2) Super-cop in Ghana?
(3) Restoring Public Confidence:
(4) Guatanamo/Abou Graibi centers?

Courtesy of Patriot

The public has just been informed that Human rights abuses under certain regimes cost the tax-payer over 8.5 billion, extracted from 13.5 billion budget allocation in 2006 to pay respirations, under the National Reconciliation Commission program; also carrying out de-confiscation of assets while over 2,000 victims of human right abuses under various political regimes have been appeased. The story carried by the GNA has short-fall to informing the public of which regime or regimes, run by what type of men were responsible; failing to assign responsibilities to committing the atrocities. One gets the impression that individuals or groups responsible for such indignation, mayhem and carnage, are not being directly held accountable.

This story will not be complete to ignore the effects of yester-year in 1945; a period which help to established a new world order, based on the rule of law. As we have been told by Historians, time wasn’t on the side of the Fuehrer of the Third Reich, Adolph Hitler: his own fortified bunker served as his waterloo; 10 of his cronies—Joachim von Rribbentrop, foreign minister, Wilhelm Keitel, chief of staff, German High Command, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Chief of Security (Gestapo), Reichmarshall Hermann Goering, Rudolf Hess, were not spared by the Allied studded Nuremberg Trial and hanged on the faithful night of 16 October, 1946: the long arms of the Law also grabbed other culprits like Adolf Eichmann, who was handled by the Jews, in Jerusalem in 1961. The Nuremberg trial served as a catalyst to promotion of freedom and Justice, protection of fundamental human rights, serving as an engine for establishment of internal security, ensuring stability and prosperity.

This dramatic wind of change which swept through the entire globe, regrettably was slow to reach the shores of Africa; with some countries like Ghana, reaping fruitful effects from the East/West cold war to gaining independence, matured reasoning was lost in the area of promoting the well being of the individual, leading to similar near Nazi atrocities, rampage and mayhem, carried out mostly by military juntas and some civilian rulers obsessed with power.

The pattern of master-slave behavior among the governance changed but little, with Presidents or Heads of States behaving worst than the governance under Pharaoh: some became overnights Presidents for life, and adorned on their cronies and concubines, with ornaments from blue diamonds to uncountable gold carats, presenting also Buckingham palace type of monument, like birthday cakes to “La compagnon”.

Safe-guarding public treasury:

The public treasury turned into a Nebuchadnezzar hanging garden, adjacent to their sumptuous master bedrooms. Like Castro of Cuba, like Kadaffi of old in Libya, like Mubarak of Egypt, like Marxist-Leninist Kwame Nkrumah, carbon copied by Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, all digging in and clinching to power-‘come what may’, much ink has already been split on this, and like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, late Mobutu and Abacha; from Senghor to Félix Houphoet-Boigny of French connection and party unique fame, from Emperor Haile Salassie, direct descendant of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba to Emperor Bokassa to Amin Dada-- the continent faced its worst times—Rape of the century, and state death squads. But this is Africa, where the law could easily be trampled on and treated like an ASS at any given time, simply to suit the whims and caprices of certain interests, filling to the brim, the almighty secret agendas.

If that issues on reconciliation in Ghana, reminiscent of that of South Africa was conceived just to promote National Unity, that national unity existed already; if it was conceived to protect interest of a certain groups or persons, some reasons being assigned to the insertion of transitional provisions in a constitution, then such action might lead to creation of culture of impunity; for it has allowed some culprits to walk the street with impunity, breathing air of freedom. Ghanaian society shouldn’t have to accommodate, condone and connive with evil; and there shouldn’t be two sides on the application of law in Ghana: one-side for pockets and other the other side for Untouchables.… that colossal sums involved being tax-payers money, for payment of respirations, could have perhaps been utilized for building a medical research centre and perhaps 2nd Korle-bu Hospital.

Resembling that of USA intelligence failure on Iraq (my apologies too Collin Powel) Ghana could have scored major points over Nixon’s Water-gate, in creating ‘Jerry-can’ gate, first in Africa, with purchases of highly complex listening devices. From Ambrose Yankey to Buckman, from Kojo Tsikata to Francis Poku, Ghana National Security system continue to evolve, adapting to rapid social, political and economic needs of the society. Ghana has gone through a checkered history and the country’s determination has been geared to achieving the dreams of healthy democratic practices, which would promote human dignity, protect individual human liberties, promote and protect life and properties and enhance the efforts for an accelerated socio-economic development.

Therefore, the national security must be given the tools to work, to enable it, achieve its safety mandate. The society is fed up with armed gangs running faster than Ben Johnson, to reach the “broadcasting house” for a hold on the microphone; to take the law into its hands, and holding the entire population of over 18 million into ransom: the society is fed up with constitutional drafting committee, constitutional assembly and approval of new constitutions... these just serves as a useless and silly drains on Ghana’s treasury.

Super cop in Ghana?

The Police Service has its critics and most of time, the service ran into bad press on issues of corruption in the system, supposedly perpetrated by few bad nuts in such useful organ of society: like the fall, of Caesar, when the service performs creditably, its critics are quick to take cover under in the trenches of silence. This might be quite understandable. Because of the useful nature of its operations, the society highly expects such important organ of government to perform to its maximum level, possessing a zero tolerance to errors. The Ghana Police service, formerly Ghana Police force, has gone through some sorts of quite revolution from its inception in 1821: it has experienced a slow transformation from traditional police, to that fashion of ALI cap, wearing winter gray shirt and Bermuda khaki shorts, and socks of 'portisse', rounding its off with that 6-meter Indian red top band around the wait and brown winter boots to black shirt and berets: its arsenal of truncheons, gave way to mark 3 and 4, and evolved into AK-47.

Because of the society’s high expectation of such important institution, its mechanism and functioning have also attracted commission and committee of enquiries, all designed to improve its proficiency and efficiency for the benefit of Ghanaian society. Due to some improvement in its service conditions, it has helped to attract quite a number of professionals from all-walks, helping to improve its quality performance; and despite its low credibility in the eyes of the populace, often accusing its of corruption, and alleged impropriety among its top ranks, practices of nepotism, tribalism, sexual harassment, the institution has not been swallowed by whales, or eaten by sharks: it has helped to forestall civil strive and fears of deadly spill-over of civil wars on Ghana’s backyard. It is the society that needs the services of Police. Without such a system, there would be complete anarchy-galore; like the story of the far west, where the quick to draw the pistol, rules as the King.

With the institution facing years of total neglect, concerning low budget allocations to improve its functions, appeared to have created general atmospheric insecurity, making the inhabitants to seek for alternatives, like erection of high security walls in addition to electrified barb-wires, which have turned to ‘de-beautify’ metropolitan areas, increased awareness for private security protection and area defense forces: at times resulting in a very negative desire of the populace to an ‘own-law’ application and administering instance street justice.

To be continued:

Summary: (1) Guantanamo centers. (2) Restoring Public Confidence