Fuel shortage hits Police Administration
By Bernice Bessey
The Ghana Police Service administration has been hit with massive fuel shortage for the past three weeks, as several office duty vehicles have been compelled to park.
Fuel for operational cars, as a result of the situation, has been drastically reduced. For example, a night patrol vehicle that is entitled to 35 liters of fuel is now being given 22 liters. Highway patrol vehicles are given 35 liters of fuel instead of the 50-70 liters of fuel they are entitled to.
According to a source, this was the first time the Police Service was experiencing fuel shortage in such great magnitude.
The Authorities of the men and women in black uniform are tightlipped as to what has accounted for the sudden fuel shortage in the service.
The fuel deficit, the source noted, has affected operations of the service to combat crime, since the fuel given to them does not last, as it used to be.
Office vehicles, the source said, have been parked and can not move on the roads and to conduct other official duties.
The source further added that for the past three years, the police personnel have been denied uniforms, boots and other items to aid them to provide services for mother Ghana.
Some personnel of the service, who spoke to The Chronicle on condition of anonymity, confirmed the story and were surprised that till date nothing has been done to address it.
They added that for the past three to four years, they’ve not been provided with uniforms and boots to carry on with their activities, and have to resort to dyeing their uniforms to keep them in shape.
“Our uniforms are so faded that we have to be dyeing them. Our boots are also worn-out and till date we’ve not been provided with new ones. Our officials are not helping us. We wonder what really is going on.”
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Police Service, DSP Cephas Arthur, when contacted denied knowledge of the shortages and promised to cross-check from the office and get back to this reporter.
At the time going to press, the Police PRO had still not returned the answers posed to him.
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