Security services urged to live above partisan politics

Page 16: Daily Graphic, March 31, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Interior Minister, Mr Cletus Avoka, and the National Security Advisor, Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, have challenged the security services to live above partisan politics in the discharge of their duties.
The two noted that the politicisation of security institutions had undermined the professionalism, competence and independence of those institutions, a development which they said was not good for Ghana’s democratic development.
They, therefore, urged the institutions, particularly their leadership, to resist political overtures in the discharge of their duties.
They were addressing the Headquarters Advisory Management Board (HEMAB) and Regional Commanders of the Ghana Police Service in Accra last week.
The two were blunt in urging the security services, particularly the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to discharge their duties responsibly, since President J.E.A. Mills’s government would not influence their work.
Mr Avoka urged them to let the law take its course, saying, “Nobody should be allowed to hide under the cloak of politics to commit crime and go scot-free.”
He said the Police Service had witnessed a lot of political victimisation, resulting in transfers, often to distant places, “not to render good services but to punish them” and called for stop to that practice.
“A lot of political victimisation has taken place. People have been transferred capriciously and at short notice because of their perceived political colour or for holding different views,” he said.
The minister also expressed concern over the delays in service enquiries and interdiction of personnel, which he attributed to maladministration.
He said some service enquiries had taken up to five years, some personnel had been on interdiction for periods ranging from five to 10 years, while there had been injustices in the selection of personnel for peacekeeping duties and promotions made, “not on merit but on other considerations”.
Mr Avoka called on the leadership of the Police Service to address those challenges because they affected morale among the personnel.
“Professionalism in the discharge of our duties encompasses discipline, integrity, sound discretion, honesty and punctuality. You can show professionalism in the discharge of your duties by avoiding delays in the handling of and dealing with correspondence and reports, avoiding misuse of official vehicles and staying away from acts which amount to bribery and corruption,” he said.
The minister reiterated the need for police personnel to treat both suspects and complainants with civility and noted with regret that although the inscription “every caller is a potential ally” was written in front of police stations, the personnel treat complainants, suspects and visitors with disdain.
He also urged them to help address the problem of conflicts, the narcotics menace and crime in general in the country.
For his part, Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah said the Police Service and the GAF were now engulfed in serious image problems which must be redeemed.
He noted that the security services had become so politicised that the mention of the name of an officer for consideration for appointment was met with the response, “He is not one of us.”
He said such politicisation tended to affect the operations, efficiency and competence of the security services, adding that the net effect of such politicisation was that each time a President or government made way for a new one, the cream of professional security personnel would also have to leave.
“It does not help us as an institution and a country,” he said, and urged the personnel to do away with partisan politics and be professional in the discharge of their work.
According to him, politicians must take most of the blame for the politicisation of the security services, since some of the personnel did not find it easy resisting political pressure.
“We must help build institutions based on efficiency and competence,” he said.
He said President Mills did not believe in the politicisation of the security services and would demonstrate that for other politicians to follow.
In a welcoming address, the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, said the meeting was to review and appraise the performance of the Police Service in 2008 and strategise for this year.