* Source: The Informer


Shocking!!!

At the time when people are calling for the Ghana Police Service to be adequately resourced so as to enable it perform its traditional role of maintaining law and order as spelt out in Chapter 15 of the 1992 Constitution, the Greater Lands Commission, is fast derailing the effort of government in its quest to crystallize the expectation of the constitution and the ordinary Ghanaian.

Totally setting aside the above-quoted constitutional provision, members of the Greater Accra Lands Commission, in the character of conscious-less spivs, decides to sell an office accommodation at Ridge in Accra, duly allocated to the Police Institution by government to help in the discharge of its duties, to Alisa Hotel.

The facility which was recently rehabilitated with financial assistance provided by the British government had served as the Headquarters of the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) – the very division that ensures professionalism in policing in Ghana.

Our investigations indicate that, the “new owners” (Alisa Hotel) have sought to consecrate their unlawful gains by going to court to secure an order to eject the police from the facility, a just refurbished edifice, part of which they have already pulled down.

Presently, the division (PIPS) is operating from an unbefitting structure with electricity and water supply completely cut off, by the supposedly “new owners” of the said property, when The Informer investigations team visited the area to have first-hand information about developments as regards the sale of the facility.

The division’s commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), (Mr.)Timothy Ashiley, in an exclusive conversation with this paper, expressed shock about the conduct of the Greater Accra Lands Commission, in its decision to sell the facility to Alisa Hotel, when it knew it has an occupant. According to him, the Lands Commission should have informed the police of its intended plan, so that they could be appropriately relocated by government following the sensitive role the police play with regards to the security of the nation.

“In fact, the commission should have weighed the pros and cons of its action, judging from the pivotal role they play as far as the security of this nation is concerned”, DCOP Ashiley averred.

Asked when he will finally vacate the premises since the “new owners” have secured a court order to eject them, he replied that so far as he takes instructions from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), he will wait patiently for his advice.

However, credible information gathered has it that, the authorities of Alisa Hotel have asked the police to look for another office apartment for them to pay for, and we wonder what really might have influenced their mental process to come with such an idea.

In fact, those of us at The Informer hold the view that with the financial valour of Alisa Hotel; they could look for land at other prime areas owned by private individuals to buy instead of fighting with the police over a government property.

The decision by both the Greater Accra Lands Commission and Alisa Hotel is morally wrong and we expect that whoever instituted the sale action, must, with immediate effect reverse it or face our wrath.

We are also calling on the government to institute a serious action against Alisa Hotel’s pulling down of the refurbished office apartment of the aforementioned division, since their action can lead to strain relations between Ghana and the British government.

The British government used part of its taxpayer’s money to renovate the facility and government shouldn’t allow any self-seeking entity to amass wealth to the detriment of ordinary Ghanaians since their security cannot be compromised.