The Police Administration, on Tuesday this week, inaugurated the newly-constructed Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) Headquarters at Nima, built by the Tobinco Group of Companies. In a speech read on his behalf at the inaugural ceremony, Nana Amo Tobbin I, Chief Executive of the conglomerate, said the project was part of the Group’s corporate social responsibility in giving back to society.
The Ghanaian Times quoted him as saying that having a professional Police Service was key to maintaining law and order in the country, because a professional police officer related better to the citizenry, making policing quite easy.
He added that, the emerging threats of terrorism and instability within some of our neighbouring countries, required that the country equips and resources the security agencies to preserve the territorial integrity.
It is an undeniable fact that crime has become so sophisticated in our part of the world nowadays. One of the ways the government can fight these crimes is the recruitment of more personnel to beef up the current number.
Unfortunately, recruitment of the personnel also comes at a cost, as the government has to provide them with accommodation and logistics they need to work with.
Looking at the pressure on our scarce resources, the government is unable to meet these huge demands – providing all the logistics the police need. As a result of this, no government has been able to recruit more police personnel, as was being done in the advanced countries, to fight crime. However, there is a way out of this conundrum – if private individuals and corporate entities are prepared to help, the situation could be addressed.
Though the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, is complaining about lack of lands to construct accommodation facilities for the service, if the private sector, in our view, intervenes, the development would no more be a headache.
More lands, we believe, will be made available for construction of more residential facilities and other logistics that the Police Service needs.
The Chronicle is very happy that the Tobinco Group of Companies has taken the lead by constructing the modern edifice, which cost millions of cedis, for the police.
As Mr Tonbin, the CEO himself admitted, the project was financed through funds set aside for social corporate responsibilities. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of companies in the country, which can emulate this shining example set by Tonbinco, by making similar funds available to the police.
These funds can then be used to buy logistics and construct residential facilities, which is a major problem confronting the police administration.
Though we admit that retooling of the Police Service is the responsibility of the government, there is nothing wrong if the corporate world also decides to support the government, because the work of the police inures to the benefits of all.
We reiterate that what Tobinco has done deserves applause and that the rest of the corporate entities must follow its example.
