Any Police Officer who calls for the position of the Inspector General of Police to be made electable instead of appointed deserves a six month refresher course at the training school.
Recently, there has been calls coming from some sections of the rank and file of the Ghana Police Service for the position of the Inspector General of Police to be electable instead of appointed as is currently the case as specified by the constitution.
Such calls are either made out of ineptitude or lack of understanding and appreciation of the Laws establishing the service. It cannot be supported by Act 350/70 for example, the Police Service Regulations Act 2012, C.I.76. And in fact, it will fall flat on the face of the 1992 constitution in article 202 specifically.
The motivation for such calls either born out of political, social, cultural, religious, regional, tribal, changing global trends, dynamics or any other consideration are faulty, irrelevant, unnecessary, uncalled for and unconstitutional.
Such verbose calls coming from policemen who have been trained to understand easily the reasons why the framers of our constitution made that position appointed instead of electable betrays reason and common sense.
There is no point bordering any reader the reason why or the dynamics involved in maintaining the status quo instead of attempting any trial and error of electing the IGP of the Service.
Although such reasons may range from political, trust, loyalty and strategic reasons, it is not necessary to go into them now.
Most of such calls are part of the baggage of nuisance that the advent of social media and technology comes with where everybody thinks that once you have a smart phone you can write anything with or without basis and begin to share it with everybody and go “Scott free” without being subjected to strict proof or any form of fact checking.
Unfortunately, such baseless calls cannot be left unattended or replied as far as some of us are concerned.
Although I accept the academic debate value of it, I don’t think it has to be coming from colleagues who have been trained with the taxpayer’s money to understand and appreciate such things.
After more than six months of training at the police training school, is almost unthinkable to assume for one minute that any police officer worth his salt will call for the position of the IGP position to be made electable. “I can’t think far”
For a police officer to make such a call our current constitutional and legal dispensation, is enough testament that such a person need to be recommended for six months refresher course to be taught on the constitution, police service regulations Act, C.I.76, police service instructions and any of such laws relating to the police service.
For the benefit of such officers, it is stated expressly and explicitly in Article 202(1) of the 1992 constitution for example that “the Inspector General of Police shall be appointed by the president acting in consultation with the council of state.
I don’t think that the above article needs a supreme court interpretation for such individuals to understand. It is almost self explanatory.
The article (202 (1) ) does not make any reference to members of the service having a hand in who becomes the IGP or voting to elect who occupies that position.
Also, in Regulations 6(1) of the Police Service Regulations Act 2012, C.I.76, it is stated in unequivocal terms that “the Inspector General of Police is the head of the service and subject to the provisions of article 202 of the constitution and to the control and direction of the council, is responsible for the operational control and administration of the service.
That is why I find such calls coming from members of the service deeply worrying and distasteful because of their lack of appreciation of these legal and constitutional requirements.
More worrying is when those who make these calls attempt to stampede the rest of us with strange and weird examples from outside our jurisdiction and try to make a case for us to buy into such arguments without regard to our prevailing dynamics, constitution, laws and regulations.
To call for the IGP position to be made electable instead of appointed is almost akin to calling for article 200 of the 1992 constitution to be amended including all the articles setting out the functions of the Council of State for example.
Also, before this call can be made practicable, it means Regulations 6(1) of the C.I.76 will have to be amended or the entire regulations dumped in the dustbin.
It is surprisingly shocking and intriguing that those who make such calls couldn’t find their voices to submit memoranda to the Constitution Review Commission when they asked for same from the Ghanaian public neither did they participate in their public fora.
This leaves people like me to form an opinion that such calls are either born out of sheer mischief or meant to further expose the service and the office of the Inspector General of Police to public criticism.
What will make a police officer think that instead of allowing the constitution to work, members of the service should be given the power to choose from a number of Commissioners who becomes their IGP?
Are we asking for the commissioners at the top to act in ways to undermine each other or try to outdo each other throughout the regions, divisions, districts, stations, posts, units and departments just to win our votes to become IGP?.
One is tempted to ask why we are not hearing such calls from these people or people who think like them in the Arm Forces also calling for the position of the Chief of Defence Staff to be made electable instead of appointed because by simple logic, it is also a creation of the 1992 constitution just like the IGP?
Are those police officers saying that whatever the motivation for such calls are; they are more than what pertains in the military?
Is it the case that we always want to bite more than we can chew?
Has our kitchen become so hot that we can no longer stay in it but decide to go out and shout to the hearing of everybody?
“My mouth has fallen” and I am waiting to reply anyone who feels he will rejoined to this.
I am also ready to read from all those who have accused me of being bribed or promised college entry by the police administration so that I will shut up and not speak on matters of the service.
To all those people who make such wild and baseless accusations against me and also denigrate my person on social media, I will answer them soon.
By Mohammed Abdul Hanan, EL-Saeed Chiraa Police Station
Sunyani District/BA
