The next government of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has promised to install 50,000 more cameras to deal with crimes in
communities. The pledge is contained in the 2024 manifesto of the party, where it outlines
plans to deepen the safety and security of communities and homes across the nation.
Captured on page 92 of the manifesto, a Bawumia presidency intends to expand “the deployment of anti-crime camera systems into neighbourhoods by rolling out 50,000 more, in addition to the 11,000 already installed, and also providing the police with body-worn
cameras.”
The above, according to the manifesto, forms part of the implementation of “a Safe Neighbourhoods Programme (SNP).” The document explains that a Bawumia presidency will continue to protect and deepen the high levels of public safety and security by implementing the SNP, which will also see that communities are lighted.
RECRUIT AND ACT
As part of the implementation of the SNP, the manifesto says a Bawumia presidency will recruit “at least 20,000 security personnel by 2028,” which means duringthe first term in office.
The NPP promises to implement the Safe Neighbourhoods Programme by strengthening police mobility and effectiveness. The party has promised proper regulation and monitoring of private security firms, as well as standards, training and licensing of individual security guards, by enacting a Private Security Industry Act.
Through the SNP, they will enhance the forensics laboratory of the Ghana Police Service and amend the Evidence Act 1975 to provide the legal framework for digital evidence admissibility. They also intend to protect the privacy and digital rights of citizens by pursuing legislative measures and public awareness campaigns to safeguard individual
privacy and ensure the responsible use of digital technologies, including the implementation of the National Child Online Protection (COP) Framework to safeguard the online experiences of minors.
CLEAN STREETS
The next NPP government says it will work with local governments and environmental civil society organisations to invest in the environmental quality of life of citizens. They promise to do this by promoting and ensuring clean streets with manicured greens and paved pedestrian walkways.
They plan to invest in green zones and public parks, as well as incorporating green elements into all public infrastructure projects.
“We will preserve all designated public parks and green zones,” the manifesto added.
GOV’T SERVICE
The NPP’s manifesto also talks of making government services easier to access by leveraging the gains already made with the rollout of the Ghana Card, where over 18 million people have been registered.
According to the manifesto, the integration of separate public databases like tax identification, driver’s license, and public payroll and the introduction of mobile money interoperability, among others, are designed to make government services accessible to citizens.
In furtherance, the NPP says that under a Bawumia presidency, it will continue to invest additional resources in bringing the government service into the palms of citizens and closer to their communities.
ONCE-ONLY-PRINCIPLE
The NPP says it will bring government accessible to the people by enhancing the Citizen App and online portal to provide a single, secure, and userfriendly interface for accessing government services by citizens. They will also adopt the “once-onlyprinciple,” in which citizens and businesses provide basic information only once, and the information is reused
across all government agencies and services.
The example is that, using the onceonly- principle, citizens with a Ghana Card will no longer be required to fill out passport application forms, since the information required is already linked to the Ghana Card.
