GH¢800m facelift for police

The Ghana Police Service will within the next six months receive a major facelift as government has earmarked an amount of GH¢800 million for the procurement and supply of modern policing equipment that will enhance the capacity of the service to deliver on its mandate of maintaining law and order.

The service would also have an array of policing equipment, as well as drones and helicopters, to deal decisively and effectively with violent and environmental crimes.

Additionally, compensation packages would be introduced to cover officers who die in the line of duty, as well as measures to solve the perennial accommodation problem facing personnel.

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, made these known when he delivered his second State-of-the-Nation Address on the floor of parliament yesterday.

The President noted that the measures form part of his government’s agenda to retool the Police Service and keep it in tune with modern trends of policing across the globe.

According to the President, adequately resourcing the Ghana Police Service is a prerequisite for ensuring that the citizenry go about their lawful duties in a safe environment.

No hiding place for criminals

The President assured that his government would ensure that crime is brought to the barest minimum, and thus called on all to offer the needed support to complement government’s effort at providing a safe environment for the citizenry.

“We shall not allow miscreants of any sort to terrorise our population; and I promise that there will be no hiding place for criminals. I am certain that the interventions we are introducing will boost morale in the service, and I urge the House and all citizens to support the police to deliver the service we deserve”, he told the house.



The President further noted that work has begun to ensure that the accommodation problem facing the security agencies is resolved.

The President cut sod for the commencement of the project in June last year in fulfillment of government’s 2016 manifesto pledge aimed at improving the living conditions of security personnel, through the upgrading of existing barracks and living quarters.



“I am happy to report that work has started on the Barracks Regeneration Programme. The acute accommodation problems that face our security agencies must be, and are being, tackled”, the President noted.

Already, some GH¢26 million has been released for the project.

Relentless war on galamsey

The President used the occasion to pay glowing tribute to the joint security personnel in the fight against illegal mining, describing them as “Ghanaian patriots of the first order”.

He acknowledged that although the current approach to ending illegal mining, as well as the ban on small-scale mining, cannot offer long-term solutions; instead, they offer the building blocks to measure that would help institute responsible mining methods in the country.



Alternatively, the President noted that government has instituted schemes to finding sustainable and alternative sources of livelihood for person engaged in illegal mining.

“We have started various schemes to find sustainable alternative sources of income for galamseyers”, the President noted.



According to the President, the current generation cannot superintend over the destruction of the environment.

He emphasised that, “The state of our rivers and forests remains a great cause for worry, and it is our sacred duty to protect them”, he added.