IGP SURPRISES DACE COMMUNITY
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare paid a surprise visit to Dambai College of Education on Thursday, 17th February, 2022. Together with his entourage including the Oti Regional Police Commander, the IGP was welcomed on behalf of the College Management by the Vice Principal, Mr. Frank Awuah. He was then taken on a tour round the campus and finally to the College’s Ceremonial Grounds. Amidst cheers and excitement, the IGP was welcomed by the staff and students of the College.
Addressing the gathering, the Oti Regional Commander of Police, DCOP Charles Dormanban indicated that the IGP and his entourage came to pay a three-day working visit to the Oti Region and deemed it necessary to pass by the College to interact with the staff and students. He further introduced to the gathering, some schedule officers who were also part of the IGP’s entourage. Such officers included Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samani Awuni from the National Patrol Department; Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aboagye Nyarko from the National MTTD Department; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Abiba Sarpong; IC, Mr. Sebastian Wemegah; and other senior officers.
As part of her interaction with the gathering, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Abiba Sarpong asked the students to indicate their likes and dislikes about the Ghana Police Service. The students indicated that the police should be quick in their response to crime; stop taking money from citizens; and all other forms of corruption should be eschewed by the police.
Educating the gathering on how police personnel are trained, the IGP said, “about 90 percent of the training received by new recruits is practically-oriented and 10 percent is theoretically classroom-based because nobody eats theories; everybody eats practical.” He added that the best international practices of policing are being practiced in the police training school in order to churn out complete, focused, committed and confident police officers right from the day they complete their training.
Dr. George Akuffo Dampare also grabbed the opportunity to enquire from students about any security issues they wished to have addressed. Some of the key issues raised by students which were put in the form of questions included the following:
- What measures should teachers take when some parents attack them in their line of duty whenever they punish students for their misconducts?
- Must students pay when they go for extract from the police station to enable them register for Ghana card?
- Is the rumour about unfair recruitment processes of the Ghana Police Service true or not?
In response to the above questions, Mr. Awuni explained that the Ghana Education Service (GES) has come out with a policy that there should not be any form of corporal punishment in schools. He added that it is against the laws of Ghana and the GES has outlawed it so teachers should adopt positive reinforcement in correcting students’ misconducts. He added that parents or community members however have no right to attack teachers for punishing a child, but rather, they need to report to the head teacher of the school so that the said teacher would be taken through the appropriate disciplinary procedures if found culpable.
Concerning the issue of the recruitment of police personnel, the IGP said it is based on the concept of “many are called but few are chosen.” He added that because the training of police is practical-based and they want to become the best institution in Ghana and the world, only qualified people are chosen.
Dr. Dampare further remarked philosophically that “those who see problems as problems are common people; but those who see problems as opportunities are uncommon people.” He therefore advised all students to always see beyond the problems they may encounter in life and look for the opportunities presented by such problems.
The IGP finally entreated all students to be law abiding citizens and make peace wherever they find themselves.
SOURCE: DACE Editorial Board
