Stop interfering in our work -Security personnel plead

Some security personnel at a forum in Cape Coast have called on government officials and other high-profile individuals to stop interfering in the work of the security services.

They indicated that the continuous interference in the work of the security services served as a demotivation for personnel and discouraged them from effectively discharging their duties.

Constitution week

Speaking at a forum as part of the Constitution Week celebrations by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the security personnel from the various agencies argued that such interference made it difficult for them to stick to their professional code of conduct.

"You arrest a suspect and the next minute, there is a call from above to release the person and this is a disincentive to many of us," one of them said.

"In some cases, a security officer decides to stick to his professional conduct and the next minute you are called and transferred. The transfer is such that it sends a signal to others to be in line with the powers that be," one other security officer said.

Personnel at the forum were drawn from the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Prisons Service.

Resource us

The participants also called for adequate resourcing of the various security agencies to enhance their efficiency.

A senior research fellow at the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr Kenneth Aikins, said interference from any angle in the activities of the security agencies was demoralising.

He said if the public lost their regard for the security agencies the country would be  in trouble.

Rebranding

Dr Aikins called on personnel of the various security services to take interest in rebranding themselves to suit the demands of the job and change the perception citizens have about them.

“Work also towards attitudinal change, this perhaps will change the perception citizens have about you in the area of corruption, dishonesty and unprofessionalism,” he added.

In his address, the Regional Director of NCCE, Mr Nicholas Ofori Boateng, said the engagement was part of the NCCE’s mandate to encourage constitutionalism.

The Assistant Central Regional Director of Prisons, Mr Wilson Sallah, called for unity in seeking to build a security front committed to bettering governance and ensuring the rule of law.

The Kotokuraba District Police Commander, Mr Samuel Odame, called for more cooperation among the security agencies to safeguard the security of the citizens.