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Are the police shirking the pragmatic responsibilities instituted by the IGP?
Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare
When the current Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare was appointed and confirmed by the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on August 1, 2021, many were those who heaved a sigh of relief and were full of praise and joy because they were of a firm conviction that the old order that had contributed to the low morale and sunken image of the Ghana Police Service (GPS), would be a thing of the past.
THE SUNKEN IMAGE OF THE POLICE IN THE PAST
Before then, the service had virtually been associated with all kinds of malpractices and fraudulent activities as well as certain illegalities among a section of officers that gave the entire police service a bad name. Bribery and corruption among some recalcitrant police officers were common, with entire discipline at the lowest ebb. However, with the introduction of this young hardworking and ‘no nonsense’ police officer at the helm of affairs, the image of the service appears to be changing gradually.
The 52-year-old police officer who is a chartered accountant with a very rich experience in policing and educational background, was the youngest IGP to be appointed under the Fourth Republic and the eight youngest since Ghana gained independence in 1957. During his over 30 years as a police officer, Dr. Dampare, has made significant contributions to policing in Ghana and beyond. He has indeed, used his vast experience to change the face of the entire police service in the country and introduced far-reaching and pragmatic policies to enhance the image and to instill discipline within the Ghana Police Service.
MAINTAINING DISCIPLINE AMONG POLICE OFFICERS BY IGP
No wonder, shortly after he had assumed office, a number of police officers who were found to have been involved in various forms of illegalities were interdicted and put under investigations. He put in place pragmatic steps to curb misconduct behaviour and warned that he would not hesitate to punish miscreant officers whose actions oppress the public to lose confidence in the Ghana Police Service. Hear him in a speech when he addressed a durbar of police officers and civilians in the past; “We want to give you assurance that in our quest to become a world class police institution, we have no reason not to put up our game and make sure that we leave all the things that are unprofessional, unethical and inhuman that set us against the public behind so that at the end of the day, we would be out there to be appreciated with the public having confidence in us.”
I do not intend to bore my readers and patrons with the achievements of the IGP during his less than one year in office for lack of space and also not to deviate from the topic I have chosen to write on. My focus is on how some misguided police officers are misconducting themselves, thus lowering the hard earned reputation the Police Service had carved for itself.
DEALING WITH THE MISCREANTS WITHIN THE POLICE SERVICE
Indeed, in most organisations and institutions, there are few bad nuts and miscreants who do not want to conform to order or the status quo of the places in which they served. Their main intention is to engage in negative activities to soil the image and reputation of their institutions and give them bad names. Such is the case of the Ghana Police Service currently, in which some officers are doing things contrarily to what pertains in their establishment.
Recently, there was a negative development in which the police have been accused of arbitrary using brute force against defenseless students of the Kumasi Islamic Senior High School (SHS). The news of that incident which went public on social media and other traditional media outlets, indicated that about 25 students of the SHS were hospitalised after the police allegedly opened tear gas on them while they were protesting against frequent road crashes of pedestrians in front of the school. The victims were said to be part of a group of students who blocked the Abrepo Junction-Barekese road during the protest.
THE NASTY INCIDENT AT KUMASI ISLAMIC SHS
The angry students had massed up on the road in protest, as they called for the construction of speed ramps on that stretch of the road. So far, we are being told that the affected students had been discharged and calm has been restored on the school campus, making way for academic activities to proceed.
The IGP in his usual reactive manner, has interdicted some officers for their roles in the disturbance. The officers were said to be part of the team said to have video-taped the clash. They consist of a Chief Inspector and two corporals. He warned that any personnel found culpable would be dealt with, according to law. He said the Police Administration would ensure that professionalism was upheld by the service.
INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE VIOLENCE
“Whatever happened in terms of policing aspect of it, we are going to look into it and take all actions that needs to be taken to ensure that at the end of the day, the right thing is done. We will ensure professionalism is deepened in a way that will not put the life of anybody at risk because as police, we are here to protect life and property and if we cannot do that, then we might fail in our mandate, and it is something that we don’t want to do.” Already, the police have admitted that a better approach to tackling the riot at the school could have been employed.
We are informed that the acting Ashanti Regional Police Commander and two other senior officers have been interdicted to pave the way for a smooth investigation into the clash. Parliament has taken a serious view of the matter and the Speaker has directed the Select Committee on Defense and Interior to probe into the matter.
Another nasty incident was recorded in Accra recently, in which the police were reported to have clashed with some youth group calling itself “Arise Ghana” who were demonstrating against the hike in fuel prices and the harsh economic condition by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumiah-led administration. A number of casualties including some police officers were recorded in that demonstration.
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE IN CROWD CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT
The circumstances surrounding those incidents amply demonstrated that either the police are not in tune with crowd management or they intentionally ignored or flouted the processes in handling these demonstrations, particularly that of the students’ demonstration. Their role in crowd management is to prevent crime and gather intelligence by patrolling the area and ensuring the safety of both participants and non-participants. Controlling an unruly crowd demands preparations, flexibility and resoluteness.
Security experts have made it clear that whether it is for a festival, concert, sporting competition or a conference, crowd management is critical factor that keeps your event safe. According to them a large number of people gathering at the same one place, creates high risk that can end up with serious consequences if it is not controlled properly.
I do not intend to tell the IGP what he should do because I am not a security expert but from my little observation, some of his men may need some form of training in crowd control and management to prepare them adequately to handle such situations. We are in an era where demonstration has become a norm and that has been enshrined in our statute books and, therefore, no one including the police administration can deny such lawful arrangements, provided they are peaceful in nature. However, some peaceful demonstrations at times can turn violent and the police must be ready to handle such situations in a more civil and peaceful manner. Demonstrations are indeed, lawful but they should be conducted within the confines of the laws of this country and this, Ghanaians must know and strictly abide by the laws.
IGP AND THE TASK AHEAD OF HIM
Knowing the pedigree of the IGP and his vast knowledge and experience in crime related issues including how some of these violent demonstrations are handled, I am of the conviction that he will rise up to the task of ensuring that the right processes are adopted and followed to protect lives and property as well as maintaining peace and security which are prerequisites in our dear country. We must also build enough confidence in our security apparatus, especially the police service and keep them entirely off politics as much as possible to enable them to stand the test of time. Having said this, it is my firm belief that the alleged culprits of the Kumasi Islamic SHS incident will be thoroughly interrogated and those found culpable are brought to book.
BY CHARLES NEEQUAYE
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I have often been saddened by the condition of Sikaman musicians. Of course, some are not musicians. They are jokers who think anybody who can sing a hymn is a musician. And why wouldn’t they think so when people think that every man wearing a rasta hair is a reggae musician?
Well, these days, almost everybody is dreaming of becoming a musician, even some ministers and parliamentarians. And it is never too late for them to begin learning the solfas and composing songs like “If You Do Good You Do For Yourself,” after all, life begins at 60 these days. If you die three years later, that’s your luck.
For the jobless, becoming a musical star is an everyday dream. They think when you are a music maker, you automatically break alliance with poverty. They are often mistaken.
I know people who claim they are musicians but are always fasting not because they are devout moslems or are on a hunger strike, but because even one square meal a day is a perpetual wahala. And the only drink they can afford is the poor man’s holy whisky which has a thousand names including ‘Nyame Bekyere’.
Even most of the popular musicians we see in town claiming they are foreign-based stars are more of hustlers than musicians. When they tell you they are going on tour abroad, it is a careful way of saying they are going overseas to scrub the whiteman’s toilet or pick tomato or apples to save their neck from musical poverty.
When they are back to Sikaman, they appear quite flamboyant with chains hanging all over them. They change the few dollars they have scraped, spread it around and promptly get broke. Then they can organise another ‘tour’. In between tours, they struggle to release an album and that levels them up a bit on the financial balance.
It all points to the fact that the life of the average musician isn’t quite organised. He has no calendar, no programme and no concentration on the job. He has to wash plates, become a waiter, janitor and toilet scrubber while finding time to make music. No musician succeeds in life that way.
One musician I’ll always respect, who thinks deeper than the ordinary Sikaman musicians is Carlos Sakyi. He is not like the Kokoase guitar musicians who see the world just in terms of bitters, a willing girlfriend, constant supply of kokonte and jot.
Carlos, often loved for his percussive overtones in gospel music, and once a gospel-rock star, has studied the life of Sikaman musicians and has evolved a blue-print for a great improvement in their lives work, finances and comfort.
In short, he has simulated a Motown-style environment for musicians and his formula is working with accuracy with the five musicians he has started with. The blue-print is what has brought MEGASTAR into being. It was launched on September 15, 1995 at the National Theatre.
When it got launched, many probably thought Carlos was “too know or was dreaming more than he should and won’t think about himself. Anyhow, the MEGASTAR is now an institution musicians can look up to, a big phenomenon with lots of promise for struggling musicians.
Music business in the developed world is not the way we regard it cheaply here. A musician is never distracted by how his finances go; his contracts are entered, his engagements made, his interviews arranged, his personal security guaranteed.
Music is his business and that is where his mind is and his attention focuses. Other aspects of his life are programmed for him by his managers. They hire who has to light his cigarettes, massage him, drive his car and the one who will say “Good Luck” when he sneezes.
A bodyguard whose face is exactly like that of the devil is hired to scare off muggers, psychopaths and criminals in general. Sometimes his girls are organised for him.
So the only thing the musician does apart from sleeping and snoring is to concentrate on making music, and true to it, no one can succeed in any venture when he is distracted.
This is how the Michael Jacksons, Lionel Richies, Dolly Patons and Whitney Houstons have made it with dollars packed and over-flowing. They aren’t any better than Sikaman musicians. The only difference is that they know how to organise their lives.
I managed to corner Carlos Sakyi and asked him to tell me how MEGASTAR was doing. He is the Managing Director of Megastar Limited, a music company that has a board of directors and a chairman. Carlos Sakyi shares the proprietorship with a partner. Carlos himself was one great musician who played for a band that beat Eddy Grant on the charts.
“Megastar is in fact a concept born out of the idea that the future security of the Ghanaian musician which has always been in jeopardy can now be guaranteed. Artistes spend too much of their time doing things on their own, chasing money and not concentrating on music. So their full potential is never realised. Some are in fact producing at quarter-rate. That is why they aren’t making much headway,” he told me.
“Megastar is now giving them the chance of the lives. We handle the interviews of Megastar artiste, their press releases, costume, engagements and everything they hitherto used to do themselves. We get them exposed on M-Net and we have contacted BB to get on their programmes. We handle their finances pay them salaries and bonuses, so they only have to concentrate on music
“Most importantly,” he continued, “we do not make all the decisions. Management always meet with the musicians to take the decisions that affect them.”
But who are the Megastar musicians? One is the great Amakye Dede, a star from birth delivered onto the earth with music on his lips; he is the man who feeds hungry ears with musical salad and harmonic sausages. He is the recipient of many national awards.
Next is Naana Frimpong, a latter-day Carlos-groomed songbird with the voice of an angel. She sings to kill. Her beauty has charmed her audience and they stare and stare at her.
The sensational and fantalising Tagoe Sisters are the next. The twin music machine is one that has produced the cream, arguably the very best, of gospel music all these years. I hear they are inseparable; not even their better-halves can keep them apart. Are they Siamese? They dance, and when on stage, they move the crowd.
Then comes Reverend Yawson who is a known songwriter. He is imbued with the Holy Spirit, speaks in tongues and of course sings in tongues. He is God’s representative on the group.
What about my good friend and super-heavyweight, Jewel Ackah? He is a star figure. His appearance is awe-inspiring, his voice golden. A great delight to be-hold when at his best in stage-craftsmanship, he has beaten his contemporaries to it both on land and on sea.
They are the pioneers of the Motown idea. They are all releasing new albums this year. Let’s see how it all goes.
In recent years, the term “female rage” has gained significant traction, symbolising a collective shift in how women’s emotions are perceived and addressed.
This phenomenon is not merely a fleeting trend but a profound movement rooted in centuries of systemic injustices, personal betrayals, and societal expectations.
As women increasingly reclaim their anger, it is imperative to understand the multifaceted nature of female rage, its causes, and its implications for individuals and society at large.
The historical context of female anger
Historically, women’s emotions have been subject to dismissal, ridicule, and pathologisation. The term “hysteria,” originating from the Greek word for uterus, was used to describe women’s emotional states as irrational and uncontrollable.
This legacy of silencing and shaming has contributed to a culture where women’s anger is often suppressed or stigmatised.
However, with the rise of feminist movements, women are challenging these narratives, asserting their right to express anger and demand change.
The anatomy of female rage
Female rage is not a monolith; it is a complex and multifaceted emotion driven by various factors, including:
1. Societal expectations: The pressure to conform to traditional roles of passivity, politeness, and emotional labour.
2. Gender inequality and pay gaps: Frustration stemming from systemic discrimination in the workplace and beyond.
3. Sexual harassment and abuse: Trauma and anger resulting from pervasive violence and objectification.
4. Emotional labour and burnout: The unsustainable burden of managing emotions and responsibilities in personal and professional spheres.
5. Hormonal fluctuations: The impact of hormonal changes on emotional states, often overlooked or dismissed.
The power of anger: Reclaiming female rage
Far from being a destructive force, female rage can be a catalyst for change. When acknowledged and channelled constructively, anger can drive advocacy, policy reform, and resistance against inequality.
The #MeToo movement, women’s marches, and increased representation in politics are testaments to the power of collective female anger.
Addressing the Stigma: Towards a more inclusive dialogue
To fully harness the potential of female rage, society must address the stigma surrounding women’s anger. This involves:
1. Validation and recognition: Acknowledging women’s emotions as legitimate and worthy of attention.
2. Creating safe spaces: Providing platforms for women to express anger without fear of backlash.
3. Education and awareness: Challenging stereotypes and promoting understanding of women’s experiences.
4. Support systems: Offering resources and support for women dealing with trauma and systemic injustices.
Conclusion
The age of female rage is a moment of profound transformation, where women’s anger is no longer silenced but celebrated as a force for justice.
By understanding the roots of female rage and addressing the societal structures that fuel it, we can move towards a more equitable and compassionate world.
The journey is complex, but the destination-a society where women’s emotions are respected and their voices are heard is worth the struggle.
References:
[1] Chemudupati, P. (2022). _The Rage of Women: A Historical Perspective_.
[2] Traister, R. (2018). _Good and Mad:
By Robert Ekow Grimond-Thompson
