The clergy praying for the IGP
“My faith is strong and I firmly believe I will succeed with God’s Blessings,” were the words of David Asante-Apeatu, Inspector General of Police (IGP) as he was officially inducted into office at a religious ceremony in Accra.
IGP Asante-Apeatu said he was relying on the grace of God to offer an excellent service to the Police Service in particular and to the nation as a whole.
He noted that his responsibility as the head of the Service is not a mean one neither is it for the faint-hearted, while acknowledging the contribution of his predecessors who worked hard to attain the current respectable and dignified status of the Service on both local and international platforms.
“I have learnt a lot from these retired and deceased Inspectors-General of Police (IGPs) and I want to assure the people of Ghana that under my leadership, the Ghana Police Pervice will do everything within its power to respond to your concerns about the conduct of the police.”
The IGP averred that he would ensure that there is accountability at all levels in the Service and for it to be held to the highest standards of integrity.
Mr Asante-Apeatu, who took over from John Kudalor as the 19th IGP, said the Ghana police had come a long way since its creation and had moved towards the creation of a more professional Service; and now personnel are better trained and equipped to deal with the challenges facing it (Service).
He said he was poised to embark on a structured and strategic transformational agenda to ensure that the whole organization changes for good – improving both operations and the welfare of officers and their families.
“We must continue to use the force multipliers of technology and intelligence and community policing to make us more efficient and effective. We must also be prepared to make changes in our way of thinking and our modus operandi that will result in the transformation of our organizational culture to achieve our vision to become a world class police organization capable of delivering protective, democratic, planned policing in line with international best practices,” the IGP posited.
He pledged to continue to work with the private sector, community leaders, other law enforcement agencies, human rights advocates, civil society groups and Ghana’s international partners to achieve the vision of becoming a world class police service.
The Director of Religious Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Reverend Friar George Arthur, who gave the homily, said the selective promotion of officers on the basis of politics and tribal favoritism breeds unnecessary enmity, jealousy and disunity in the Police Service and other spheres of the economy and so there is the need for the new IGP to desist from that.
“You are to be an example to others. Make friends not enemies during your tenure of office as the Inspector General of Police; and this calls for firmness and fairness,” Rev Arthur entreated.
He indicated that some people would be happy while others would be peeved under the new IGP, adding, “This is natural but do not be the cause of their sorrow.”
He urged Mr Asante-Apeatu to tackle corruption within the Service and the enlistment process that has been characterized by fraud.
“Be neutral and not allow any political infiltration in your reign in order to succeed,” he charged.
Several dignitaries trooped to the 37 branch of the Ghana Police Church in Accra to lend their support to the IGP.
Notable amongst them were the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo; Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery; Justice Jones Dotse of the Supreme Court; Awomefia of Anlo, Togbe Sri III; other traditional rulers; retired IGPs and their spouses; senior police officers; heads of sister security services, including Maj Gen OB Akwa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)