A member of the communications team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Ralph Apetorgbor, has described as “kangaroo logic,” the decision by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare to replace police officers who die in the line of their duties with their children.
Responding to the IGP’s announcement that the Police has put measures in place to ensure that Police officers who die in the line of duty are replaced by their qualified children, Mr. Apetorgbor who is the Deputy Communications officer for the Anyaa-Sowutuom constituency branch of the NDC questioned if the Police service has now become a family heirloom.
“If this kangaroo logic is allowed to stand, then the natural question is how long will it take before the Police service becomes the preserve of some particular families?
“And what about other persons who apply to serve in the service but are not successful, what will they do if successful recruits keep dying in the line of duty to make way for other family members to inherit their positions like the baton?” He said in a statement.
According to Mr. Apetorgbor the policy is a dangerous and awkward one that must be reversed immediately if it has already gone into implementation.
The IGP was addressing a public lecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) disclosed the decision to turn the police recruitments into family relays.
“When a police officer dies on duty, we have put new measures in place to ensure that a relative of the deceased officer who is qualified is recruited into the service as part of efforts to urge our officers to do their best in protecting the public,” Dampare disclosed.
“We want a police service of the people, by the people and for the people. We want to make the service the best institution in the country and a reference point in the world” he added.
Mr. Ralph Apetorgbor wondered in an interview if the IGP came up with the strange arrangement that could be a dangerous precedent in Ghana or did so with recourse to the Interior and National security Ministers.
“I am not too sure if Dr. Dampare has the power to effect such changes and I am truly suspicious that this is not his idea alone. But wherever it came from, it is dangerous,” he said.
He points out that such a policy if allowed to go on will soon lead to a situation where certain families will soon use corrupt practices to entrench themselves as “entitled custodians” of the Police service.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana