Editorial
Welcoming the new IGP
Ghana today has seen the appointment of an Acting Inspector General of Police whose duty is basically to supervise the Ghana Police Service to carry out its policing duty throughout the country.
The Police is an important institution that helps to maintain peace and order or security in our communities and other parts of the country. In otherwords, to protect lives and property.
For this reason, the appointment of Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare to succeed the former IGP, Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh, who has retired, is a step in the right direction.
The credentials of Dr. Akuffo Dampare is quite impressive so together with his practical skills as a distinguished police officer, it is expected that the Ghana Police Service will see tremendous changes sooner than later.
Changes are already happening in the transfer of certain officers from where they are at the moment to new places and it is expected that these changes, based on certain observations, would yield positive results.
The Ghana Police Service needs reorganisation and retraining to deal with armed robbery and other crimes that are being committed in different parts of the country.
Enforcement of Police actions, it must be noted, is based on dependable intelligence and information. We, therefore, expect the IGP and his men to extremely depend on these to perform creditably well.
The point must be made, however, that crime combat does not depend on the Police alone, but on all of us in the country. People must be prepared, based on their observations and suspicions, to volunteer credible information to the Police.
If this is done well, the Ghana Police Service will prove to be a very efficient and dynamic force to reckon with.
Where changes are necessary, the new IGP must not sit on his comfortable chair, but swiftly move to ensure that new ideas are implemented regarding necessary changes so as to be able to obtain the optimum results as far as police duties are concerned.
The Spectator congratulates the new IGP on his appointment and wish him well in his endeavours.
It is believed that he will live up to expectation so the entire population, irrespective of where they find themselves, must cooperate with him in the interest of our dear nation.
Dear Editor,
I wish to use this esteemed platform to urge the traditional councils of Osu and La to call for independent investigation into the recent demolition exercise at Kaajaano.
The exercise rendered hundreds homeless.
Information about the reason for the demolition has been scanty with those desiring to know feeding heavily on social media posts.
One particular name –Jato, has been associated with it but under whose instruction the exercise was carried is also not known.
Sadly, instead of getting to know who ordered the demolition and for what reasons, traditional authorities of Osu and La have been embroiled in a tug-of-war over ownership of the said land.
This is premature. At this moment, they should call for investigation into the exercise to know the people behind it.
When that is done, then discussions about the owners of the site can begin. That would end the posture of the two neighbouring town which has the potential to turn into something else.
Ataa Osa Mensah,
Osu
Dear Editor,
I wish to use your respected platform to draw the attention of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to the behaviour of traders and some drivers about the use of lower denomination coins, specifically the 20 and 10 pesewas.
About two weeks ago, I read in your sister newspaper, The Ghanaian Times about this problem and the caution that followed from the BoG and some economic analysts.
The warning they gave was that the continuous rejection of the notes could create pricing problems which can eventually affect inflation.
I thought that would put to bed that practice or refusal to accept the coins when given out as change or use to pay for particular service.
Unfortunately, the problem still persist among traders, drivers, customers and passengers alike. Only last week, there was as altercation in the Accra Central area where a woman refused to accept five 20 pesewas note totaling one cedi.
As the argument continued, the trader decided not to sell to the customer again after by-standers explained to her that it was still a legal tender and those that refused it could become offenders.
This is an issue the BoG and other regulatory agencies must go and explain to the people and let them know that it is unlawful not to accept a currency that is still in use.
It nothing was done, it could create a much more serious problems.
Mary Osei Badu,
Swedru
