<<Print>>

Founding President of think tank, IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe, says an order by the Inspector General of Police against checks for motor traffic offences is an absurd form of policing.

Mr Cudjoe thinks IGP Mr John Kudalor’s directed is founded on unsound reason.

“IGP you may have the power to bend the rules but not all rules Sir. This act of yours if true is banditry, lawless and encourages plunder on our roads,” he said in aFacebook comment.

A wireless message from the top hierarchy of the police in Accra Tuesday said “all motor checks in the country [are to be] suspended with immediate effect.”

It said personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service are to be "used only for traffic management duties.

The directive has received mixed reactions. Police say the directive is to ensure operational efficiency in the run up to the December 7 elections.


Read the full post by Mr Cudjoe as published on his Facebook wall.

I have never heard the most absurd forms of policing in my entire life as I did reading the story of an order carelessly given by the Inspector General of Police to his men throughout the country. That, they should suspend varied checks for motor traffic offences until infinity! Yes, Mr. IGP you may have the power to bend the rules but not all rules Sir. This act of yours if true is banditry, lawless and encourages plunder on our roads. This may as well be a grand act in illusions as the season of silly beckons- elections. Not too long ago, a former President must have ordered the release of taxi drivers arrested in droves for various traffic offences and his party lost the elections. Perhaps no relationship here, but such desperate acts smacks of fear of losing power and more importantly suggests that the law can be plundered to benefit some at the expense of others. My favourite French Economist and Legislator, Frederic Bastiat was right when he said the below;

"As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose--that it may violate property instead of protecting it --then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder.”

– Frédéric Bastiat, in "The Law"

"When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law."

Frédéric Bastiat, in "The Law"

Stop the legal plunder Mr IGP                        

So, we in Ghana have allowed and supported our major  Presidential candidates to dodge essential presidential debates in the most crucial election? And we are  jubilating over the unaccountable freebies being dished out like a magician at his illusory best?  What sort of soil are we made of? And we are slashing ourselves over the US presidential debates calling the candidates all sort of names? By the way, the US Vice-Presidential debate ended a while ago and EVEN the CNN naturally addicted to the Democrats and conjoined in thinking as well called it for Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Pence over his Democratic rival, Kaine. BBC's Barbara Plett said Republican Pence was "more competent and calm" and had "a better style".