ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danqua
The restriction of information and secrecy has particular relevance on democratic policing. Secrecy is of great importance in police work, either officially or unofficially. The Ghanaian police was fashioned by the British for a different purpose in a different age but have, like much else continued unchanged. If anything, it lacks the same aura while [ads1]professionalism is dropping so fast.
This government regards the police as its strong arm rather than as an independent force governed by the law and the constitution. What are we seeing under President Akufo-Addo? The police especially the CID department regard itself as a limb of the executive branch, which is itself subordinate to the NPP party office. The phrase, law and order is well understood. But it has perhaps acquired a particular connotation in Ghana under Akufo Addo which is a highly conservative and status quo society, all the radical rhetoric notwithstanding. The order has come to mean not merely tranquility but the established order, any upset to which necessarily disturbs the peace. Why should the Police CID release a caution statement which is supposed to be kept as secret documents until released to the courts, to government officials, journalists and party propagandists to attack innocent citizens.
Our police are fastly losing its credibility under this administration and it began with the famous A-Plus tape. Every civilized society must be policed to ensure compliance with the law and harmonize the citizen’s rights with his obligations. This is a minimum condition for ordered progress and civic tranquility. So there must be something amiss when the law enforcement machinery itself break down and allow itself to be manipulated by the President and his party.
So, the CID chief feels comfortable seeing official documents of her department being splashed all over social media for propaganda purposes. Read the statement and compare the content to the kind of misconceptions, lies and dangerous posts attached to it. Why are we doing this to this peaceful nation? And why didn’t Joy FM and those government communicators produce the full statement? If the statement being splashed around is authentic, then, these communicators have done a great disservice to Nyantakyi, the President and the government. And it has exposed the incompetence of some of our police personnel. The police after all the discussions on radio and intermittent interventions by Mr. Baako and others didn’t know that Anas used the bait system to catch Nyantakyi and others captured in the video. As police officers, they should know that BAIT catches people who are looking to commit a crime. Demands, gifts, questions and statements made by those who were assigned to execute the deal are not non-accusatory. So, to release that portion of the statement (if it is authentic) to rundown an innocent citizen, confirms the general impression that our police service is dead ready for burial.
Our CSOs, churches, Imams etc must quickly stand up against this emerging canker. Recently Franklin Cudjoe, received text messages threatening him with death because he challenged the certain clauses in a government contract and raised the issue of value for money. As a responsible citizen, he made the police aware. Does it mean these agents of the executive in the Police are going to release all he told them to these miscreants? What the Police did is shameful, wicked and dangerous to our democracy. The CID boss must be made to resign. She must explain why a, whole security outfit would allow such a sensitive document to be used as political weapon.