Over the weekend, news broke of a truck with registration number ER 765–17, having a police sticker involved in an accident. This vehicle was allegedly transporting illegal mining equipment to Nkonsa, in the Ashanti region.
In the video circulating on social media, which the police statement addressed, voices were heard saying the vehicle had brought the mining equipment into the community, but the residents resisted that they would not condone illegal mining, also called galamsey.
It was alleged in the video by a faceless male that a police vehicle had been used for galamsey.
However, a statement from the police dated Saturday, October 5, 2024 debunked the allegation that its vehicle was aiding galamsey activities.
In a time where misinformation can spread rapidly, the police acted promptly to prevent further confusion, as that allegation could have easily tarnished the image of the service.
The police’s statement also disclosed that preliminary investigation showed that the vehicle belongs to the Road Safety Management Service Limited (RSMSL).
While this timely clarification by the police is welcome, it raises other pressing concerns. We need to know the source of that sticker, whether or not it is an official sticker from the Ghana Police or a fake one being sold around. It is also necessary to unveil the motivation behind such a sticker on the said vehicle.
Against this background, there is an urgent need for a full investigation into the matter, especially considering the serious implications of criminal activities possibly linked to the vehicle.
The involvement of the RSMSL, a company whose role is to enhance road safety, adds another layer of concern. Their vehicle, allegedly involved in criminal activity of misrepresentation, raises serious questions about the company’s oversight and operational integrity.
RSMSL improves road safety and reduces accidents across the country. Their services typically include providing towing and recovery services, offering technical support in road incident management, and supporting enforcement of road safety regulations.
These, in our view, are vital functions in a country where road accidents claim many lives every year. Given their mandate, RSMSL’s silence on the matter is troubling. Their alleged involvement, as the police statement attributed the ownership of the vehicle to them, must not be swept under the carpet.
For us, both the police and the company must be interested in getting to the bottom of the matter. On the part of the police, they have the onerous duty to clear their name by fishing out who caused their sticker to be placed on a vehicle that does not belong to them and ensure sanctions are meted out to the culprit.
The incident is synonymous with some vehicle owners placing stickers of the Office of the President on their vehicles. Those are fake stickers, according to Jubilee House. The Office of the President said it does not have any stickers for vehicles.
What that means is that such vehicles could be used to commit crimes and the institution whose sticker was used will suffer the embarrassment through no fault of theirs.
In the case of RSMSL, they need to break their silence and address the issue, particularly why a police sticker is embossed on their vehicle, though it does not belong to the police.
Also, they need to clarify the allegation of aiding galamsey operations by transporting the equipment to engage in galamsey. This happened at a time of public uproar against the activities of galamsey. The company cannot continue to be silent.
We urge the RSMSL to issue a statement addressing these concerns and to cooperate fully with the investigation by the police to restore public confidence in their operations.
If it is proven after a thorough probe that the vehicle was indeed transporting galamsey equipment to a site for illegal mining, it will only shed light on the broader and more troubling issue of galamsey.
Again, if it is proven that the residents, being convinced that the equipment had come to the community to engage in galamsey, prevented its movement, leading to the accident, it speaks of the desire of the citizens to put an end to the devastating effect of galamsey. Their compatriots were also demonstrating in Accra against galamsey at the time they also blocked the vehicle at Nkonsa.
While we commend the Ghana Police Service for their quick clarification, it is crucial that the investigation into this incident is thorough and transparent.
The involvement of RSMSL, as the statement of the police indicated, must be scrutinised and if the vehicle truly belongs to the company, then they owe the public an explanation about having the sticker of the police on their vehicle.
