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In a rare instance, some officers and men of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) stood against their own wives. This happened when the men were compelled by circumstance to carry out a directive from the police headquarters for them to remove and demolish what has been described as �unapproved� and �illegal� structures in three police barracks, Dansoman, Mamprobi and Korle Bu. A team of about 20 policemen moved from one station to the other to carry out this directive, pulling down several structures including stores. Dansoman Divisional Police Commander, Assistance Commissioner of Police (ACP) Paul Awini, under whose jurisdiction these barracks fell, said the exercise followed an earlier warning and eviction notice served on the affected persons, mostly wives and relations of serving and retired police officers. For this reason, he said, he and his men- some of them affected by the exercise- were acting on instructions from the headquarters to rid the various barracks of such unauthorized structures. Much as he felt the plight of the affected persons, considering the fact that they were mostly wives of his own men, ACP Awini said it was a necessary evil since, according to him, �we don�t have to encourage this kind of lawlessness�. He added, �We must be a nation of disciplined people. That is the only way we can beautify our country.� However, most of the affected persons disagreed with the action since they believed it was not given a human face. When Daily Guide�s team went round some of these barracks, most of the women and other members of their families were busily picking up the remnants of their wares. Others had also gathered in small groups talking about the action which has denied them a source of living. A couple of them who spoke to Daily Guide, on condition of anonymity for fear of their husbands being victimized, wondered the need for the exercise. One of them who spoke in Twi and translated into English said: �I don�t even know where they want us to go and what they want us to go and do because this was our only source of income from which we used to support our husbands. So now I don�t know what they want us do.� She stressed the belief that the action was being carried out because of the recent increases in the salaries of the police and other government workers on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS). Meanwhile, she said their husbands� salaries were not enough to cater for them and their children. Another person stressed the need for the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Paul Quaye and members of his administration to take a second look at their decision since, according to her, the action would have serious rippling effects on their families. �Do you know that this is the very source from where we help our husbands to pay our children�s school fees? Now I don�t know what to do. Government has to come in to save the situation,� she said. But the police are set to go back to the various barracks on Saturday to remove and demolish the remaining structures which were left for some reason.