We’ve not been very conscious of personal security

For the second time in less than a week the Daily Graphic has had to return to the issue of personal security because of the importance it attaches to the lives of citizens and the fact that life, the greatest resource, cannot be replaced once it is lost.

When we wrote about the need for citizens to take their personal security seriously, we did not in the least expect another gruesome murder, but just a few hours after going to print, the country was greeted with the sad news of the killing of Ahmed Suale-Hussein.

It is baffling how a country known for the generally peaceful nature of its people has, for a few years now, been witnessing such heinous crimes.

From where have we come this far? Ghana was noted for its educative films and music until ‘modern civilisation’ infiltrated that industry with dirty and profane scenes and lyrics.

But as if the country has no moral direction, despite the presence of a commission on culture for years, films and music that exhibit violence, profanity and the flaunting of wealth are the ones that dominate our screens.

What do we expect the youth to learn?

We agree that all over the world certain crimes take a long time after their commission for the culprits to be apprehended.

In some, the perpetrators are not found at all.

But the ability of the citizenry to be watchful and describe suspects with precision has helped do the trick.

That is why the Daily Graphic emphasises the need for our police service to build trust between itself and the citizenry.

In recent years, more countries have placed greater emphasis on police-community partnerships that have produced accountability and shared information.

It is in this vein that we admonish policemen who reveal the identities of informants to stop that practice forthwith, as it has prevented many from volunteering information to the police, which has hindered the fight against crime.

We are also of the view that our educational system must be able to produce learners who can describe things vividly.

The typical Ghanaian child is afraid to ask questions and take note of things.

When our children travel, they are not able to determine the course of trains and buses, but the average child elsewhere can do this with ease.

A few years ago, a female foreign student at the University of Ghana who was raped was able to sketch and describe in detail the criminal, which led to his arrest in a short time.

But the average Ghanaian lacks the ability to describe events and objects accurately and thoroughly.

Many people know only the colours red, blue, green, white and black. For us, every shade of red is red, whether it is wine or beige. The same goes for how we describe all other colours.

We are so laid back that we have extended such attitude to very important national programmes like the digital address system and the National Health Insurance Scheme, with citizens reluctant to register, although they do make life easier and simpler.

Unfortunately, politicians will jump onto such issues to politicise and sectionalise them for their own gain.

We also think community policing, as introduced by the police service but seems to have been disbanded, should be brought back.

We reason that the little information that has been provided by a few watchful ones should give the police some leads to unravel the mystery behind the killings that have rocked the country in recent times.