At the 50th Cadet Officers’ Graduation Ceremony held at the National Police Training School in Accra, the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assured the good people of Ghana of Government’s commitment to peace and security in the country.
He said the most important things for a nation include the peace and safety of its people and its territorial integrity. He added that the police and other security services, are determined to deal decisively with threats posed by criminals and their syndicates.
The President said Government, in recognition of the difficulties and dangers confronting police personnel in the discharge of their duties, remains committed to resourcing the Service, through the provision of adequate personnel and logistics to enable them to deliver on their mandate.
He disclosed that the Police Service will take delivery of two gazelle light attack helicopters and one Airbus 350 helicopter, in November this year, to enhance its work. He added that hangars for the helicopters, located at the National Police Training School, have been completed, and six officers, who will fly the helicopters, have completed their training in South Africa.
Towards protecting the country’s maritime waters, and its offshore oil and gas installations, President Akufo-Addo said the Ministry of the Interior has procured three Alligator Silver boats in fulfilment of the pledge he made to expand and resource the Marine Police, to help them work with the Ghana Navy.
Apart from the existing Formed Police Unit (FPU) in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said that new FBUs would be established in November in the Northern, Upper East and Ashanti Regions and 22 light armoured vehicles have been procured for their use. He added that in the next one-and-a-half years, FPUs will be established in the remaining regions that do not have FPUs.
Quoting Article 200 (3) of the Constitution which states that “the Police Service shall be equipped and maintained to perform its traditional role of maintaining law and order”, the President explained that the ultimate goal of this provision is to ensure explicitly that the ordinary citizen feels safe, and can go about their everyday life, free from the fear of crime and insecurity.
According to the President, the effective execution of the mandate of the police is premised on building a professional Police Service that is accountable, responsive, transparent, trustworthy, and which accommodates the concerns of the general public that it serves.
Citing the 2020 Global Peace Index Report, compiled and released by the Institute of Economics and Peace, which ranks Ghana as the second most peaceful country in sub-Saharan Africa, after Mauritius, he stated that such a positive global outlook identifies Ghana as a peaceful destination for sound investments. He added that all Ghanaians, including the police and the citizenry, should be encouraged by such an assessment.
According to President Akufo-Addo, whilst Government does its utmost to equip, resource and retool the Ghana Police Service, it is also important that discipline prevails throughout the Service.
“This is a charge I give the acting Inspector General of Police and the entire Police Administration. Without discipline and effective supervision, winning public confidence and support to fight crime will be very problematic. The prevention and detection of crime are a shared responsibility between the police and the public, and mutual respect, confidence and support are required to achieve these goals,” he said.
The President urged the Cadet Officers to step out as agents of change, as the training they have undergone should have imbibed in them the values of commitment to discipline, duty, hard work and integrity.
“I am hopeful that you will bring to bear the knowledge you have acquired to project positively the image of the Ghana Police Service. Discharge your responsibilities professionally, and live above reproach,” the President said.
