Editorial: Politicians should allow the Police to do their work

Ghanaians woke up on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 to hear the sad news about the murder of a soldier at the Millennium City, near Gomoah Fetteh, in the Gomoah East District of the Central Regional. The soldier, identified as Lance Corporal Danso, was allegedly shot several times in front of the Millennium City Police Station, without any provocation by one Benlord Ababio.

Benlord Ababio was later identified by the media as a National Security Operative, but the Ministry of National Security quickly issued a statement denying the claim.

However, when the suspect was put before the Achimota Court, the charge sheet described him as a national security operative. The big question is: who is hiding the truth? We shall surely delve into this controversy in our subsequent publications.

However, a few days after the committal of this heinous crime, a security analyst, Emmanuel Kutin, was quoted as saying on United Television that he knew the suspect to be a national security operative and that he had pictures of him during his training. He did not end there, but went further to state that he (Benlord) has several cases pending against him at the police headquarters.

Kutin further claimed that because he was untouchable, Benlord Ababio, has not been brought to book. To him, if he had been reined in, he wouldn’t have mustered the courage to pick up a gun to shoot to kill a soldier.

It is instructive to note that Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party, had also previously complained about the land guard activities in the same Millennium City area and went further to mention a particular name. Ken did not understand why the police were unable to deal with this alleged land guard and allowing him to terrorise the people.

The Chronicle does not have any evidence to back the claim being made by Mr Kutin and Ken Agyapong, but as the adage goes – there is no smoke without fire. And this is why we are calling on the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, to delve deep into the allegation of land guard activities in the area and the alleged failure of his men to deal with the situation.

Based on the reports of land guard activities resulting in deaths and maiming of innocent people, mainly in Accra and its environs, the then Attorney General, Madam Gloria Afua Akuffo on April 10, 2019 submitted a bill to parliament to tackle the issue.

The Bill –Vigilante and Related Offences Bill, 2019 – was subsequently passed into law. If, despite the presence of the law land guard activities are still flourishing, it means we have a problem as a country. But despite calling on the IGP to  probe his own people in the Millennium City to ascertain why land guard activities is still going on, The Chronicle does not think the police alone should shoulder the blame.

Politicians appear to be playing crucial role in the frustration Ghanaians are going through when it comes to land guard matters. As noted by Mr Kutin, some of the land guards are being probably shielded by people at the top echelons of government. This makes it impossible for the police to do their work, as expected of them.

In our view, therefore, the IGP, and we are not referring to Dampare per se, but the position should be given security of tenure. If the head of the police service knows that he or she cannot be sacked for performing his or her duties, irrespective of whose ox is gored, they will be bold enough to stop interference of their duties by politicians.

It was based on the high crimes being recorded in Kasoa and its environs that The Chronicle agitated for the creation of police station for the area. Thankfully, the police administration has done that, but if, in the face of all these measures, heinous crimes are still being committed at Kasoa, it means the police themselves may be facing some difficulties that they cannot make public.

The Chronicle is, therefore, calling on government officials and those occupying position of respect in this country, including our chiefs, to allow the police to do their work. If Benlord Ababio had been arrested and dealt with according to the laws of the land, he wouldn’t have today picked up a gun to kill a soldier.

All these frustrations notwithstanding, we still think IGP Dampare must do something serious about the Millennium City land guard menace, to ensure peace in the area, which is gradually becoming  a city of its own.

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