Police Professionalism gives us hope for Ghana’s future – Sulemana Braimah on Democracy Hub Demo Handling
Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has said the Ghana Police Service’s ‘professional handling of the demonstration’ by the Democracy Hub group is ‘refreshing and a step in the right direction towards upholding the constitutional right of freedom of expression in Ghana.’
According to him, the tolerance of the police towards the protestors’ actions demonstrates that they have moved away from their previous practice of utilizing force to uphold law and order in the face of demonstrations.
He asserts that the nation’s democratic credentials and image have been enhanced by the Dampare-led Police Service.
“The Ghana Police Service we had always known was that which was quick to show demonstrators where power lies. It was the kind of police that will deploy brute physical force, teargas, water cannons, and bullets and all they have against demonstrators and still call that “use of minimum force.” The consequences had always been bleeding faces, broken limbs, lost eyes, etc.
“What we now see is a very civil, decorous police that is gentle yet forceful enough to ensure the enforcement of law and order. What we see in the Ghana Police Service of today are clear manifestations of what good leadership does. It is the same policemen and women. It is the same Ghana police service. What has changed is leadership.
“May we have great leaders for all our institutions and country. Kudos to you, Dr. George Akufo Dampare, for your leadership. Keep it up,” Sulemana Braimah stated in a post on his Facebook wall.
Following violent protests on Sunday, September 22, at the 37 Intersection in Accra, 42 protestors, including some of the event’s organizers, were taken into custody.
Video from the demonstration showed protesters fighting with police, smashing down police barriers, and hitting personnel who were trying to stop the demonstrators from congregating at the main crossing.
The three-day protest began on Saturday, September 21, with activists using cars and stones to block the crossing in all directions. They also ignited fires, harassed other drivers, and pounded on cars. To further cause disruption, some protestors started playing football in the middle of the road.
The Ghana Police Service had earlier issued a stern warning to the organisers, describing the demonstrators’ actions as ‘unGhanaian, uncivil, and unlawful.’
The public was severely inconvenienced, as the police statement pointed out, with commuters having to wait hours for traffic to clear, individuals in need of medical attention having to wait longer to go to hospitals, and families finding it difficult to bring supplies to loved ones who were hospitalized. Significant interruptions were also experienced by commercial activity, with people unable to access their enterprises and missing flights, as well as cultural and social events like funerals.
The police decided from their assessment that the protestors had no intention of holding a nonviolent demonstration and issued a warning, stating that they would not permit any meetings to take place at the 37 Intersection. Rather, they offered seven different venues for the demonstration and promised to supply security if the protestors obeyed.
The police did, however, issue a warning that if demonstrators persisted in obstructing the 37 Intersection, they would employ all lawful means to guarantee traffic flow and prevent undue inconvenience to the general public.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, one of the organizers of the event, was shown in multiple video clips smashing through police barricades and taking the key out of a police car, which he then threw away.
Although police attempted to arrest him, Barker-Vormawor fled the scene. He was declared wanted and has since been arrested by the police.
