General Constable Polly John Issahaku
Some officers and men of the Ghana Police Service seem to have thrown ethics to the dogs and decided to engage in partisan politics.
One of such persons, General Constable Polly John Issahaku, who uses the facebook name Manful-wura Adama Issahaku, is currently a member of the presidential guard.
Although it is not known if the young police man is a card-bearing member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), he is actively campaigning for the party and its presidential candidate, President John Dramani Mahama.
He has since taken his campaign activities to his facebook wall where he promotes the President with his endorsements, ‘I choose JM’.
Many who have interacted with him say Issahaku is an ardent supporter of the NDC and has no problem making this information ublic.
It’s believed that he got into the police service with his NDC connections, making it difficult for him to dissociate himself from the party.
Interestingly, the young man is a Gonja, who comes from Bole, the hometown of President Mahama and prides himself as a fearless brother of the President.
According to reports, he reportedly engages in heated arguments with some of his colleagues who complain about the harsh economic conditions in the country.
At his previous station at Agogo in the Ashanti region, it was an open secret that he was a NDC member since those who know him there call him ‘NDC policeman.’
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Constitution bars officers and men in the various security agencies (those in public service and civil service) and civil servants from engaging in politics as confirmed by the head of the Public Relations Unit of the Police Service, Superintendent Cephas Arthur.
Section 17 (d) of the Police Service Act, 1970 (Act 350), which talks about Section ‘Misconduct and Unsatisfactory Service’ states, “It shall be misconduct for a police officer to engage in any activity outside his official duties, which is likely to involve him in political controversy or to lead to his taking improper advantage of his position in the Police Service.”
When he was asked whether the provisions of the Police Service permits policemen in active service to do or engage in any form of politics, Cephas Arthur therefore insisted “not at all, we are not allowed at all to engage in party politics.”
If anything at all, in their own closets, they may talk but it shouldn’t be in public view.
“That is wrong and when it comes to the notice of the administration, he will be sanctioned.”
By Charles Takyi-Boadu