Be guided by truth and rule of law – Otumfuo tells IGP
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has tasked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr John Kudalor, to let truth and the rule of law be his guiding principles in the discharge of his duties.
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He said although it was the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government which appointed him as the IGP, his allegiance should be to the people of Ghana and not any political party.
He said the Police Service was established for the people of Ghana and not to seek the interest of any political party, for which reason the IGP should eschew any partisan tendencies in his administration.
Courtesy call
The Asantehene made the call when Mr Kudalor paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace as part of activities marking his visit to the Ashanti Region.
Mr Kudalor was accompanied to the Manhyia Palace by the Director-General of Police Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno; COP Mr Kofi Boakye, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, and COP Mr Frank Adu Poku, the Director-General of Technical Services.
The visit was to enable the IGP to introduce himself to the Asantehene and seek his blessing and assistance for a peaceful election.
Electoral tension
Otumfuo Osei Tutu stressed the need for the police to win the trust of the people in order for Ghanaians to assist them in the fight against crime.
According to him, for the police to succeed, they would need the co-operation of the citizenry, adding that the people must have confidence in the police before they could offer them the needed help.
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He said although the country had opted to go to the polls every four years, there was always tension and fear of violence every election year.
He attributed that situation to the lack of truth and fairness in the system which he said made people apprehensive every election year.
Fairness
Otumfuo Osei Tutu charged the police to ensure that they did their work, enforced the law and sanctioned those who fell foul of the law without fear or favour.
He wondered how people could snatch ballot boxes from polling centres in the full glare of the police without the police doing anything.
"You cannot allow this to continue if you want the people to believe and have trust in you," he stated.
That, he said, was the only way the people could trust the police and assist them in the discharge of their mandate.
IGP
Mr Kudalor thanked the Asantehene for his support to the service over the years and pleaded with him to use his influence to appeal to the people of the region and the country to comport themselves before, during and after the elections.
He said the Asantehene wielded a lot of power and the people listened to and respected his opinions.
According to the IGP, there was the need to calm down tempers as the nation prepared for the polls.