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Press Release
February 5, 2011
PRESIDENT MILLS
MUST SACK KOBBY ACHEAMPONG, SUPPORT POLICE
The
leadership of the New Patriotic Party is extremely
disturbed by negative political moves to smash the
morale of the rank and file of the Police Service and
criminalise police officers in an obvious desperate
attempt to protect a deputy minister of state who
allegedly broke the law.
That
incident on Sunday involving Deputy Minister of
Interior, Kobby Acheampong and police officers in their
line of duty is the latest in a series of events
testifying to the persisting, alarming levels of
arrogance, abuse of power and lawlessness since
President JEA Mills took office in 2009.
For a
deputy minister, stopped for allegedly breaking the law,
to be rude to and cause the arbitrary arrest and
detention of eight police officers whose only "offence"
was to seek to enforce the law on speed limit on our
increasingly dangerous roads, sends a very wrong signal
to the country.
According
to the regional police, the deputy minister's vehicle
was driving at 90km/hr in a 50km/hr zone. The Deputy
Minister of Interior (in charge of law and order) chose
to overtake other vehicles which were obediently
observing the speed limit on that stretch of road. When
his vehicle was ordered to stop for over-speeding, he
chose to stop his vehicle right in the middle of the
road, blocking all other road users, in an obvious
exhibition of power with impunity. The deputy minister,
who has, over the years, earned for himself a curious
reputation of hurling insults even when not provoked,
allegedly started throwing insults at the law
enforcement officers.
We are now
told that it is the uncomplimentary reaction of one such
offended officer which called for that urgent
high-handed armoured vehicle arrest and detention in
Accra of all the officers on duty at that material time.
This arbitrary use of power is reminiscent of the
military regimes of the past. Also disturbing is the
decision by the Inspector General of Police to instruct
the PRO of the Service to act, effectively, as a
publicist for Kobby Acheampong or the Executive,
prejudging the police officers as guilty as alleged by
Kobby Acheampong. This is demoralising for the men and
women in black who are laying down their lives to keep
as safe.
We are
calling on the President to show some responsible
leadership and sack Kobby Acheampong immediately.
We are also
calling on the Inspector General of Police to stand up
for his men and women on the beat, rather than on his
political masters on behalf of a political master who
apparently broke the law and added insults to that
breach. Should the word of a notorious deputy minister
necessitate such a shameful abuse of power against
police officers?
It is very
dangerous for our democracy when a minister with
responsibility for law and order can so totally
disregard the law and proceed to violate the human
rights of law enforcement officers for merely doing the
job. It is a big setback for law and order.
Our law
enforcement agents need encouragement to enforce the law
without fear or favour and not the suffering of
victimisation and intimidation from their political
bosses for doing what is right and just.
Let the
President show leadership by sacking Kobby Acheampong
and, hopefully, help restore the morale of our police
officers.
Signed...
Kwadwo
Owusu Afriyie,
General
Secretary, NPP
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