New IGP takes office

Page 24: Daily Graphic, May 19, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Quaye, yesterday performed his first official duty since assuming office last Friday, with a pledge to lead the Ghana Police Service to partner its counterparts in the world to fight crime.
“I will lead the Ghana Police Service to play its role in the comity of police forces in the world to help deal with crime,” Mr Quaye told the Chief of Police of Hanover Park, USA, Mr Ronald Moser, at a meeting at the Police Headquarters.
The Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, DSP Kwesi Ofori, told the Daily Graphic after the meeting that Mr Quaye noted that the challenges of the Ghana Police Service were well-known and indicated that with the support of the government, he would lead the service to perform the role for which it was established.
Mr Quaye said he would have a constructive engagement with civil society and the populace as a whole and expected all his regional, divisional and district commanders to do same to ensure that crime was reduced to the barest minimum.
He said he had been given a charge to prosecute President Mills’s agenda of providing security for all persons living in the country and their property and had no option but to succeed.
He noted that fighting crime had become a collaborative effort and that was why the Ghana Police Service must be seen to be partnering its counterparts in the world, while at the local level personnel collaborated with civil society to ensure that success was achieved.
For his part, Mr Ronald Moser, who is in the country at the invitation of President Mills, was hopeful a fruitful partnership would be established between the Ghana Police Service and their US counterparts.
He said the US saw Ghana as “the best” ally in sub-Saharan Africa and, therefore, it was imperative that all avenues of relationships were explored and strengthened.
“We need a stronger relationship and we can achieve the best if we work together and get to know the needs of one another so that we could help,” he was quoted as saying.
Mr Moser said policing had become international and the most effective police force in the world was the one that collaborated or partnered others effectively.
Earlier, the IGP had briefed members of the Headquarters Advisory Management Board (HEMAB) on his policy direction to ensure that he delivered to the satisfaction of Ghanaians.
Mr Quaye did this when he met officials of the Interior Ministry including the sector Minister, Mr Cletus Avoka, after he officially took over from the acting IGP, Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson.
The Director of Police Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori, told the Daily Graphic after the meeting that Mr Quaye gave the assurance that he would work assiduously to fight crime to ensure peace and security in the country.
DSP Ofori said Mr Quaye commended Mrs Mills-Robertson for the good work she performed within the period of her tenure.
The Interior Minister, DSP Ofori said, expressed the hope that Mr Quaye would live up to expectation and deliver on the challenges confronting Ghanaians.
He said Mr Avoka urged the IGP to endeavour to raise the morale of the personnel so that it would translate in their output in the discharge of their duties.
DSP Ofori said “the wait-and-see” attitude that had engulfed the Police Service must give way to an ‘all-action agenda’ to deal with crime.
According to him, Mr Avoka urged the IGP to challenge his men and women at the regional, divisional and district levels to use local resources to help identify and flush out criminal elements in their areas.
He said Mr Avoka reminded the IGP of the President’s commitment to fight drugs and advised him to sustain the momentum.