Welcome IGP Mr Tetteh Yohuno!

It is now public information that President John Drama­ni Mahama has relieved In­spector General of Police (IGP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare of his post, replacing him with Commissioner of Police Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno.

In other words, the coun­try’s current IGP is Mr Tetteh Yohuno.

This change in the top lead­ership position of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) would certainly cause changes in other positions, all for the good of the individuals going to be elevated but that should not end there.

They should come for the betterment of the GPS and the greater good of the Ghanaian society as the bottom line.

Such changes are not unex­pected because the removing or retiring IGPs is mandated by Article 202 of the country’s 1992 Constitution as it gives the power to the President of the Republic to do so in consulta­tion with the Council of State.

Therefore, we welcome Mr Tetteh Yohuno to his new position.

We know that every IGP is aware he is responsible for the operational control and admin­istration of the GPS, includ­ing maintaining law and order, preventing and detecting crime, and protecting life and property.

We have no doubt that having done policing for 40 years and having functioned in a number of leadership positions, Mr Tetteh Yohuno can readily be acknowledged to be someone who has what it takes to be a successful IGP.

However, we wish to remind him that success would greatly depend on his responsiveness to the exigencies of the day, for the benefit of the entire country.

Mr IGP, at 59, all things being equal, you have only one year to prove your mettle and leave a legacy that can be hailed, hope­fully a legacy that can convince President Mahama and the Council of State to extend your tenure, without incurring the displeasure of anyone.

We wish well anyone on an assignment to better the lives of Ghanaians and we wish you well the more because your success would improve lives.

Always remember that you have daunting responsibilities, some not visible to everyone but the prying eyes of members of the public would follow your duties regarding the mainte­nance of law and order, preven­tion and detection of crime, and protection of life and property.

This is because your failure in these areas would make most members of the public, partic­ularly the vulnerable, victims of all manner of abuse.

Since it is not lost on us that some of the members of the GPS, both men and women, can undermine your efforts, we appeal to you to have stringent but lawful measures to call err­ing police personnel to order.

Sometimes, some of them, for example, arrogate to themselves powers they do not possess to the extent of pre­venting members of the public from exercising their rights and freedoms in certain situations.

Currently, some of GPS members intimidate the public, making police personnel being seen in bad light.

If nothing at all, the Gha­naian public would like you to leave a legacy of a GPS whose personnel are easily approach­able, generally friendly, and ready to offer the needed help without demanding induce­ments before acting.

Upon your appointment, you have received some advice already from President Mahama and some other personalities, while you have made some re­marks expressing your commit­ment to do your best.

Let your fire burn for all to see and hopefully give credence to the jubilation your appoint­ment has elicited.