• Some officers of the Police Administration and their guests dancing to music by Daddy Lumba.

Police hold annual dinner dance

Dec - 29 - 2014 , 00:07

The Ghana Police Service last Saturday held its annual dinner dance after a 25-year break. The annual event of the service provides an opportunity to take stock of the past year, as well as a platform to brainstorm and generate ideas to improve the output of the service in the coming year.

However, since the last dinner/dance held in 1989 under Mr C.K. Dewornu, the then Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the service has not been able to hold it until last Saturday.

A Commissioner of Police (COP), Mr David Asante-Apeatu, in his address, said it was “sad” that “this key tradition was last organised in 1989”.

Re-birth

He said the thoughtfulness and direction of the current IGP, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, had resulted in the rebirth of the annual dinner ball.

“I have his assurance and commitment that this important annual tradition of the Ghana Police Service shall be institutionalised as a key activity on the calendar of the Ghana Police Service,” he stated.

Mr Asante-Apeatu said as a pointer, the 2015 event would be a charity ball in aid of a Police Cenotaph or memorial to honour officers and men who died in the line of duty.

He said integrity that defined professionalism, dedication and commitment to serve and protect the citizenry of the country ought to be honoured.

During the year under review, he said, the Police Administration had implemented a number of initiatives, projects and activities to further consolidate the positive image that the service was currently enjoying.

Police projects

Some of the projects, he said, were visibility policing, the launch of the National Police Cenotaph, the construction of the Marine Police Academy, as well as the construction and refurbishment of the Public Affairs Department of the service.

Other activities were the affirmation of the police fight against corruption through enhanced awareness among officers and men, public education and outreach programmes.

Another key activity, he said, was the institution of an enhanced and transparent mechanism to discipline officers and men who acted off the line.

The occasion was graced by some ministers of state, members of the Diplomatic Corps and retired security personnel.

Dignitaries

Also in attendance were the Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice-Admiral Mathew Quashie; Ghana’s Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, as well as the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo.

It was under the chairmanship of Mr Alhassan, with Mr James Agalga, a Deputy Minister of Interior, as the Special Guest of Honour who represented the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur.

The Ghana Police and the Military bands, together with Mr Charles Kojo Fosu (aka DL) treated guests to nice Ghanaian tunes.

Successes

In an addressread on his behalf the Vice-President said he was proud of the successes chalked up by the police in the year and expressed the hope that they would continue to give their best to the envy of other security services in the sub-region and beyond.

He said the innovative programmes rolled out by the administration had helped in stemming crime in the country and culminated in this year’s Christmas being incident-free across the country.

The Vice-President gave an assurance that the service would be re-tooled for it to effectively handle the changing face of criminal activities in the country.

Various views

Three state officials who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed various views and expectations.

Vice Admiral Quashie said the rebirth of the dinner ball marked the beginning of a new era for the police.

He expressed optimism that an effective collaboration among the various forces would enhance national security and that the new era would be the beginning of continuity.

A former acting Commissioner of Police, Ms Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, commended the Police Service for the level of peace and security it had maintained in the country over the years.

She said the re-institution of the Annual Police Ball was a good thing which needed to be encouraged.

“I do admit that the Police Service encounters some challenges in its day-to-day activities, but it has also been able to achieve a lot for Ghana and needs commendation,” she said.

Nii Afotey Agbo urged the police to maintain the highest standards, saying regardless of the level of relationship or influence, anyone who flouted the law should be dealt with according to law.

That, he said, was one of the surest means of ensuring discipline and sanity and maintaining decency in the country.

Writer’s email: victor.kwawukume@graphic.com.gh