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CREATING PROSPERITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL:
RESOURCING AND MOTIVATING OUR SECURITY SERVICES FOR SECURE, SAFE COMMUNITIES


Introduction

In a few days, Ghanaians will participate in an important exercise of their civic responsibilities as engaged citizens. Every four years, since the start of our Fourth Republic, we, Ghanaians, have formed queues, sometimes for hours, on December 7, to vote for a new President and Members of Parliament.

It is an awesome responsibility which Ghanaians have discharged faithfully over the years. The NPP would like to address the security services of this dear country of ours.

This is very important because across the length and breadth of this country, they will be on the frontlines of providing security for ordinary Ghanaians exercising their legitimate rights to freely vote their
conscience, and in securing the ballots.

We have faith in your capabilities, and are hopeful that you will perform your responsibilities in a professional way. It is heartwarming to note that even in the face of being under-resourced, unmotivated, and harassed by Executive interference, our security services, across all levels, have tried their best to do an excellent job, on average, in maintaining an appreciable level of security under the circumstances.

The NPP Government will secure peace and security for all Ghanaians. Under the NPP Government, Ghanaians will feel safe on the streets and in their homes. Ghanaians will go about their daily business in the secure knowledge that their persons, properties and lives are safe under an NPP Government.

NPP believes that the strict enforcement of our existing laws by our security agencies, without selectivity, will go a long way to sanitize our nation, assuage the fears of the citizenry and dramatically transform our society.

In this regard, the next NPP government will ensure that all our security personnel are properlytrained, properly-resourced, and provided with incentives to enable them discharge professionally their duties and obligations fairly and effectively without any interference from the executive branch of government in order to make the country a safe place for all our citizens.

Building a Trusting Relationship Between Government and The Security Services Governments come and go, and as long as we continue on the path of democratic governance that we have chosen, no one government will be in place forever. It is important that we build a professional corps of officers and men whose loyalties lie with the state, and not a government.

The NPP was in government between 2001 to 2008, and within that period, as majority of officers and men of our security services will attest to, we did everything to isolate them from executive pressure and influence, as well as provided them with the logistics they needed to perform their jobs.

As we go into these elections, the NPP wants to assure you that you can trust us. Under an NPP government, there will be no victimization of police officers and men based on their perceived political affiliations, tribe, or faith. Transfers and reassignments will not be used as tools of coercion nor instruments of punishment for security officers. It is inhuman to disrupt the life of a security officer, and that of his family, based on flimsy and unfair reasons.

Our security services will be participating in the Special Voting elections tomorrow, even in higher numbers than you did in 2012, when, per the figures, the majority of your numbers voted for Nana Akufo-Addo. We ask for your vote to support the election of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in this election. You have families and friends. You go to the same market as other Ghanaians.

You live the same hardships we all live. You feel it. The NPP does not condone the collection of bribes, nor corrupt practices in any government, and private agencies.

As you vote, we ask you to consider how much worse your lives will be under another four years of the Mahama-led NDC government. Consider twelve years under of these hardships: can you live with it? If your answer is no, then vote your conscience.

We ask for your vote so together, we can create a Ghana that works for all of use, not just a few. Finally, we will like to go over a few of the interventions and policy direction that an NPP government will pursue in order to improve the conditions under which you operate.

Our Commitments to the Security Services

As part of our overall commitment to improving the living conditions of our security personnel, in addition to treating members of our security services fairly, without victimization and interference, the NPP will:

1. roll out a National Barracks Regeneration Programme that will invest in rehabilitating and upgrading living quarters of all our security services across the country

2. review and restructure recruitment into our security services to stamp out the fraud and cronyism that have been introduced into this process by the Mahama-led NDC government

3. continue to recruit additional personnel, with increased recruitment of women, into our security services, and, for the police, we work towards the target of meeting the U.N. ratio of 1:500 police to civilians

4. provide the police with modern communication and policing equipment

5. build two new police hospitals at Sunyani and Bolgatanga to serve the health needs of police personnel

6. build 2 new police training schools

7. harmonise and standardise police training across the country, and improve and resource all police training institutions, including the command college at Winneba

8. complete the third phase of the 37 Military Hospital project, as well as upgrade its equipment to meet modern medical challenges, having constructed the second phase

9. construct a new military hospital in Tamale to service the health needs of military personnel and their families in the northern sector of the country

10. continue local and foreign training for Armed Forces personnel

11. commit to adjusting upwards peacekeeping allowances in line with new increases by the UN

12. ensure that personnel who serve in UN Peacekeeping Missions are paid at their duty post

13. take immediate steps to decongest our prisons, and introduce a system to separate remand and convicted inmates, reform pre-trial detention, prison management, sentencing, including noncustodial sentences, social integration, and health facilities for prisoners, prison officers and civilian employees

14. offer competitive remuneration to enable the Security Services attract the best personnel

15. build two Prison Service hospitals, one each in the Southern and Northern sectors of the country

16. provide each district with a Fire Service station where none exists. Where there is one, the NPP will upgrade it as required to meet the minimum standards expected of a modern, wellequipped fire station, and

17. in recognition of their multiple roles, and also as part of the NPP’s aim to grow rapidly our tourism and hospitality sector, we shall pay particular attention to the training and incentivisation of the personnel of the Immigration Service. The NPP Government will secure the peace and security of all Ghanaians working hand in hand with our hardworking security services.

Thank you.

Signed

John Boadu
General Secretary (Ag)