President Nana Akufo-Addo
The suspension of the Upper West Regional Minister by the President was an unambiguous message to his appointees and Ghanaians in general that no longer would impunity and abuse of office be tolerated in governance in the country.
We are unsurprised after all that the NDC has taken a swipe at the President for taking the action. They would have rather he ignored it so they can query him for ignoring the aberration. They have in another vein demanded of the President to relieve the Finance Minister of his appointment. Such double standards only expose the cognitive shortcomings the party has been afflicted with in the little over a year ago. Another symptom of the unexpected power loss it would seem.
President Akufo-Addo is not the ‘yen tie obiaa’ type. On the contrary he listens since after all, he is a servant of the people of Ghana. Former President John Mahama taunted the then opposition that he and his government would not listen to anybody. That was the summit of the impunity of the past government.
Impunity is but a feature of the old political order which Ghanaians used their voting power to oust in the last general election, the huge volume of machinations against free and fair polls notwithstanding.
To the IGP, officers and men of the Ghana Police Service, he has, by the rare action, assured them of his unalloyed support as they perform their legitimate duties to the state.
Credible information available to the DAILY GUIDE has it that nobody who breaches the law would go scot free. Those who destroy public property, their party affiliations notwithstanding, would be prosecuted in consonance with the laws of the land -the Police have the President’s assurance.
The heightened morale among officers and men of the law enforcement agency can only be conjectured at this time of the country’s political history.
We have come a long way to this milestone. Now is the time for the President to make good his promises which he made when he criss-crossed the length and breadth of this great country. He is making it.
We wish to congratulate the President for once more displaying this rare leadership quality in a country where the norm is for appointees to lord it over law enforcement agents.
No more shall the standards be breached in the name of so-called ‘order from above.’ The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) stands apart from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) through its upholding of the rule of law no matter whose ox is gored.
Let them who have been entrusted with the task of probing what went into the suspended minister allegedly ordering the release of the suspects in the destruction of NADMO property do a thorough job. The road to good governance is long and like all journeys starts with a step. The President must be supported to deliver on his mandate so that Ghana would leave behind the smelly baggage of the previous political order which Ghanaians despised so much that they handed over the country to a man they consider a better option.
If the Commander-In-Chief can be decisive in his reaction to suspected incidents of impunity and abuse of office, law enforcement agents too must watch out for untoward conduct so they are not caught abusing the authority bestowed upon them.
The IGP, Mr. David Asante-Apeatu, his Superior Officers, Inspectorate Class, Men and Women have been sufficiently emboldened to work for Ghana and not for appointees.