Special Marines For Ghana Police; NPP Fears Deepen

The fear of the opposition New Patriotic Party about the formation of �Special Forces� in the Ghana Armed Forces by the ruling government is likely to deepen as government has announced the coming into being of yet another special force in the Police Service. The Vice President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, who is the Chairman of the Ghana Police Council, has announced government�s intentions of creating a special unit in the police service called the �Marine Police Division�. During the Independence Day celebration on March 6, there was a group of specially trained soldiers christened �The Special Forces� who would be tasked to handle special assignments in Ghana. Although government and the Ghana Army have come out to clear the air about the duties of the �Special Forces�, the NPP said it is not convinced, but rather vindicated that the NDC has plans to intimidate its supporters in the upcoming elections. Vice President Mahama has, however, said the �Special Marine Police Unit� is expected to check crimes committed on the nation�s seas. He disclosed this at the annual West Africa Security Services Association (WASSA) celebration of the Sunyani Regional Police Command in the Brong Ahafo region where he said �for those of you who haven�t heard, the police service has been charged to introduce a Marine Police and so you are supposed to check illegal use of nets, illegal use of lights to fish and any other crime that is committed on the seas. �So for those of you who know how to swim and are courageous enough, maybe you should start training, we would transfer you to the Marine Police Division when the patrol boats arrive� �There are two new patrol boats, they would be used for training purposes and they would be the start of a new Marine Police Unit.�