Of Science, Security and Police:

Summary:

Startling dark-side of science.

Green Peace on defensive?

Arena of Criminality

Securing Ghana—Presidential view.

Safe-guarding public treasury

Super cop in Ghana?

Unlike the jigsaw puzzle of Alchemy’s mystical feat, concerning his mineralogical chemistry search to turn other metals into gold, chemical reactions to the body language covering arguments on scientific advancements and hi-tech innovations, geared to the benefits of society and man relentlessly, continue to range on: While the balance sheet on these vital subject of scientific innovation, reveals a startling dark side, billions of dollars are still being spent in form of research to achieve high perfect levels; with some innovators, realizing their dreams; their strenuous efforts, producing fruitful results and profits; their reveries, hallucinations or visions, some spinning into reality, to contributing to advancement of society. (Courtesy of Patriot)

Conservative arguments have greatly lauded what they termed as ‘striking achievements’ in the area of innovations; they have claimed, “scientific reasoning which extends the human mind and ability to reason to develop or invent alternatives, have since period of time, positively contributed to world’s evolutionary trends, improving both social and economies and much life-styles”. While huge investments in such vital areas have benefited mankind greatly, scientific innovation, serving as en engine of development, accelerated industrial revolution in the pioneering scientific world, while benefiting the so-called under-developed, with purchases eating deep into their budget allocations.

New York Times in an editorial on benefits of scientific innovations argued that, the most striking evidence of such achievements in the industrialized countries could be seen through per capita income, which has increased almost tenfold in the space of two centuries. It lists a number of collective benefits that have accompanied this enormous rise in income; longer life, lower infant mortality, eradication of certain diseases, higher level of education, more rapid means of communication, better living and working conditions, greater social protection, more leisure opportunities.

Regrettably, nowadays, mankind’s (man/woman) achievements are measured in terms of wealth, such as gold/diamond/liquid deposits in banks, investment in housing and industry and at time, visually, that’s possession of a number of private planes, cars, at certain areas, especially in Africa (polygamy-galore) like number of wives, counted on figure tips, (re-visiting 33-year-old King of Swaziland, His Majesty Mswati 111, who recently chose a 17-year-old girl as his 13th wife, spent $16 million to refurbish palaces, purchased high-powered BMW’s for his 10 wives, while most Swazis live in poverty (African dilemma or Blackman’s obsession on sex?)..

Green Peace disagrees?

Liberals, notably Green Peace, an international environmental activist group, currently engaged in campaigns in climate, toxics, genetic engineering, ocean dumping and forest, not totally disagreeing with benefits accursed from science and technology invocations, has loudly sounded a note of caution: it cited the destruction of its first Rainbow Warrior ship sunk by the French foreign intelligence agency (DGSE) in Auckland harbour, New Zealand, on 10 July 1985 as some of the component dangers of scentitif innovations. The Warrior was on the trail of the French Nuclear Sub-Marine on a nuclear test mission.

Like the magic hand, writing on the wall to spell the doom days of King Nebuchadnezzar, the danger has been clearly been painted on the screen and one could clearly see that, the balance sheet have been tainted with serious human blood stains and had, had other set backs and drawbacks; that usage or exploitation of innovations calls for serious efforts of controls. Some of the innovations, accelerated the costly arms race and the resultant deadly wars, resulting in the loss of nearly 100 million in the notorious two world wars, not counting the cost involved in regional, tribal conflicts.

The conservatives concluding, “They have contributed to the establishment of peace, stability and prosperity. It has enabled human being to extend the knowledge of nature and themselves to reduce the level of superstition and to act more naturally to achieve a better life. The Liberals: the dark side in the balance sheet gives cause for concern; the innovations of nuclear arsenals capable of destroying mankind, to global environmental issues, resulting from a process of industrialization that threatens the future of the whole earth. Even though Africa and Latin American countries are saddled with debt payment and servicing problems, outbreak of diseases, coupled with high mounting teething problems, i.e. energy crisis, lack of investments, unemployment and over population- it seems unimaginable that any country could afford the luxury to ignore the importance of new scientific innovations which are increasingly defining life styles of the contemporary world and its functioning. In this connection, one cannot underestimate the relevance and the value of such devices i.e. the application of new technologies deployed to upgrade, modernize, or develop traditional activities (or to exploit natural resources that would otherwise remain untapped) while causing minimal social and economic disruption.

Arena of Criminality:

Unquestionably, it would be suicidal to ignore the importance of such innovations in our time: that the goals of the basic needs in developing countries, of food, shelter and education, could not be divorced from such innovations to squarely tackle issues like security etc, which would help to guarantee the required protection of their life and properties as stipulated in various constitutions.

The exploitation of such devices could not be ignored or neglected, especially in these present periods, when sophistications or complexities have invaded the arena of criminality and criminals continue to explore the market for high tech materials, in their efforts to outwit the law and out-gun the police: it is a known fact, that drug(narcotic) barons have managed to gain access to even the skies, developing techniques to escape radar detections: on the sea, high powered engine boats are rallied around, outrunning even Formule1 Racing..

The gangsters, have also mastered the art of operating in the night with gadgets, mapping carefully their way-out, in smart get-away vehicles to escape justice and to continue their struggle, to maximize their profits: on the roads, high powered engine vehicles are used to escape, while complexity in arsenals build-ups, have been toughened, upgraded, to be able to beat the police, in case of a fight. With the constant changes in the methods of criminality, the police have to continue to evolve, living far head of time, to be able to meet the challenges of the times and improve their efforts to meet the public safety mandate which have been entrusted upon them by the constitution:

For that reason, the above outlines have been stated to raise arguments on the use of scientific and technological innovations to enhance protection of life and property, as enshrined in the constitution. Therefore, the objective will be to limit arguments to exploitation of scientific innovation to issues of human protection or defense. Can innovations be used for human defense or protection: if the answer is the affirmative, then what areas of government structure should deals with Protection? Perhaps we can examine the areas of Defense, National Security and Police (Interior). And what is Defense? Collins dictionary says:

Defense: Action that is taken to protect someone against attack Defense (2): Organization of a country’s Armies and weapons and their use to protect a country or its interests. National Security: Application of measures, applied to maintain the survival of a nation through the use of economic, military and political power and exercise of diplomacy. Interior: Maintenance of internal security and peaceful development within the Constitutional framework, including the use of Police, Fire service, etc

Securing Ghana—Presidential view:

Recent events in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, have clearly vindicated President of Ghana, Mr. Kuffour, in his first interview with BBC; that his priority was to secure Ghana: Therefore, if three important organs on the structure of government, deals with security issues, then more aggressive attempts should be made to mobilize to secure the country protect its constitution, life and property, promote the fundamental rights of the individual and shelter freedom of expression.

Observers have, however, been concerned; questioning not only the causes of rampant coup d’états in Ghana, but their successes and spontaneous acceptance and support, which turned also to attract self-acclaimed champions of democracy, and greedy technocrats to their fold; even persons who have one-time served, as Members of Parliament, who gleefully jumped the military queue for appointments as Ministers of State.

Some traditional rulers, who were also supposed to champion the cause of freedom of their kilt and kin’s, and grilled to stay clear of politics, for sheer quest of power, fame and to be famous, are known to have also jumped on the military bandwagon and maneuvered for appointments, while others, running like hungry lions, also sought favors from the military. Human behavior patterns during these periods, are what should attract independent enquiry, or bi-partisan parliamentary investigations, to help collect data and conduct indebt study on rampant coup d’états, seeking the right antidote to outlaw it.

Most often, names of known coup plotters have at times hit the headlines attracting criticisms, while roles played by those who claimed to be champions of democracy, been let hidden behind the scenes. It would be of public interest to know why the now serving President, who once served in the Legislative Assembly, worked as Deputy Minister in Jerry Rawlings military junta. Another area to investigate is whether intelligence failure concerning issues of National Security, also contributed to rampant coups d’état, and who were those responsible for such failures;

1. Was it due to lack of sharing information?

2. Human error, i.e. negligence?

3. Lack of incentives, training and equipments in the National Security service, or rampant political interference?

4. And why police collaboration and involvement in military coups?

For if group of armed-men could race Ben Johnson’s type of 100 meters race to a Broadcasting house, search for microphone to announce a whole government take-over, and to add insults to injury, to suspend a whole country’s constitution, then whiter oh Mother Africa, where is Ghana drifting? And where were the men/women, engaged by state, paid by tax-payers to protect the territorial integrity of the state and to protect the constitution? Why should the nation has to spend billions maintaining a National Security system of Army and the Police; (on the borders of USA’s nightmare on intelligence failure?) described by Collins as:

Application of measures, applied to maintain the survival of a nation through the use of economic, military and political power and exercise of diplomacy.

Rampant coup d’états?

Maintenance of a National Security Agency, one of the important organs to protect Constitutional Democracy, eats deeply into public treasury, in area of payment of emoluments, acquisition of machinery, and manpower training. And if such a service is non-starter or non-performing to be able to meet its public mandate as required under the constitution, then its application should have to be examined borrowing lenses of eagle eye and intelligence of Agatha Christie.. The Ghanaian public, in my observation, is completely fed up with appointed constitutional assemblies, constitutional drafting committees and adoption of new constitutions; a complete waste pipe on the public treasury.

What’s needed is robust and a functioning National security, fortified hi-tech equipments, which would enable it prevent armed-criminal gangs interfering in Ghana’s political life. The tax-payer must have his/her interest highly pursued, protected and preserved under rule of law, not rule of guns.

To be continued:

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.