A Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, says the decision by the Police Administration to investigate eight (8) of its personnel for an alleged act of misconduct against Kobby Acheampong, Deputy Minister of the Interior, which he attributes to political expediency, is a pointer to the NDCs gross disrespect of the service.
To him, by this act, the Police Service has been reduced to an insignificant institution.
�This is a disgrace and I am so disgusted, so embarrassed� and I am so embarrassed because it shows that if you are a policeman you no longer have any form of respect,� he said.
On Sunday, October 2nd, Deputy Minister of the Interior, Kobby Acheampong, who could not stand the effrontery of some policemen on traffic duty for daring to stop him for over-speeding, caused their immediate arrest.
The MTTU Officers on a motor check duty at Ekumfi Esaafa on the Cape Coast - Winneba Highway were alleged to have verbally abused Mr Acheampong for "daring" to offer them a piece of advice, as the Sector Deputy Minister, on the duties they were performing, according to a statement issued by the Police Public Directorate in Accra.
The eight policemen are answering questions at the Police Headquarters upon the orders of the IGP, to whom the deputy minister lodged a complaint.
The Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) unit of the Ghana Police Service is conducting the investigations.
Speaking on OmanFM, an Accra-based commercial radio station, John Boadu said the repercussions of the deputy minister�s actions could lead to some commercial drivers disrespecting MTTU officials enforcing road regulations on the highways. He slammed the Public Affairs Directorate of the Police Service for what he described as the spewing of lies just to protect Kobby Acheampong.
�Though there is a PRO for the Police Service whose work is to defend and protect the police, look at where we have reduced it to�you now have a police PRO defending a minister who already has a PRO,� he said.
The former National Youth Organiser of the NPP strongly averred that there was no way the policemen who were on duty on the day of the incident could out of the blue, rain insults on the Deputy Interior Minister and wondered if the mouthpiece of Police Service is suggesting that the MTTU officials are �mad men� who could, just at will, launch scathing verbal attacks on anybody in particular.
�The reaction by the Police administration and the PRO on the matter depicts that they have demoralized their own people�now the police can�t do a thorough check on our roads�.
He also posited that the blatant show of �arrogance� being exhibited by some government appointees is as a result of the lack of effective leadership on the part of President Mills who he accused of failing to walk the talk.
��it all boils down to the weak leadership in this country�yes! Supposing we have a president who is in charge of affairs, Kobby Acheampong, who heaped abuse on people from Kumasi should not still be at post as a minister lording it over others. Where in this world can you find this same minister raining insults on a female journalist as if the minister himself doesn�t have a wife at home?� he rhetorically asked.
Meanwhile, police officers in Cape Coast believe their colleagues are being victimized and have embarked on a protest; in the form of a sit-down strike action.
Peacefm's Central Regional correspondent, Kwabena Marfo reports that the officers at various check points in Cape Coast are still not enforcing road traffic regulations in protest against the treatment meted out to their colleagues.
The "strike" began on Monday.
According to him, the police are at post but are largely unconcerned about what the drivers are doing on the roads.
The police say for years, they have been conducting their operation at the exact point the minister had the altercation with their colleagues and wondered why it is now a problem checking for road traffic offenders at that same stretch of the road.
For now, it remains unclear when the police will end their silent protest.
Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/Peacefmonline.com
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