Community Policing still on the agenda of Government -Cletus Avoka

Unlike Wednesday, when Ghana's Legislative house was almost full, for the Budget statement and Economic Policy of the Government, about a quarter of legislators yesterday turned up for sitting, to discuss various matters on all the sectors of the economy.

Pieces of information gathered by The Chronicle indicated that some of the members attended various Committee sittings whilst others too were on official visit to various government institutions. It was also discovered that some members were absent with permission whilst others too were absent without permission.

As usual, the public gallery was filled to capacity, with majority being students from the various Senior High Schools. However, the numbers continued to drop whilst sittings was in session.

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Cletus Avoka and deputy Minister of Information, Mr. Agyenim Boateng were in the House to answer various questions pertaining to their Ministries.

From the silence of a cemetery, the atmosphere of the House gradually picked up when the Ministers took the centre stage to answer questions pertaining to their respective Ministries by members of the House.

Mr. Cletus Avoka in his answer to a question by Mr. Herod Cobbina, MP, Sefwi Akontombra, on what measures his Ministry was putting in place to increase the staff strength of Police personnel to adequately take care of the citizens in his constituency, noted that strengthening the human capacity of the Ghana Police Service was still high on the agenda of Government, but due to inadequate accommodation, the concept of community policing would be still pursued to address the numerous security challenges in the country.

He however assured the House that his outfit would solve the accommodation problems confronting the Police Service, especially, in the rural areas and the Akotombra District in the Western Region when funds are made available.

The Police Administration has for sometime now been faced with financial difficulties in relation to building barracks to accommodate personnel. As a result of this, a lot of projects, according to the Interior Minister have been suspended since the year 2000. The situation has also left the Police in dilemma on its recruitment exercise to address the ever increasing security problems in the country.

In addressing the issue at hand, Mr. Avoka noted the Police Administration has estimated their housing needs to his Ministry for consideration, and have contacted strategic prospective investors for possible construction of mass houses nationwide for its staff personnel.

As a short term measure, he noted that his Ministry, together with the Police Service is relying on rented premises with its meagre budgetary allocation to solve the accommodation problems of the Police Service.

Touching on measures to equip the Ghana Fire Service, the Interior Minister noted that his Ministry will do everything possible to rehabilitate all defective fire tenders and put them back on the road whilst awaiting new fire tenders expected t arrive by March 2010.

He said three (3) fire tenders out of forty (40) have so far been repaired and are in operation, but due to the high cost in repairing them, the Ministry will pursue them one after the other.