If I am asked to mention three things that should never be trivialized or politicized, I will state security, sanitation, and sports.  I do not claim to be an expert in security but the recent occurrences had me thinking. There is so much trouble and fear these days that the phrase, ‘Ghana is a peaceful country is beginning to lose its taste’. In all these, the police are in the center of affairs. I think they are doing their bid even though there are a few challenges here and there. Having a solid police force starts with who is interested in wearing the uniform, their motive, character traits, the kind of training they get, logistics gave to work with and finally, who polices them.

In principle, a person of questionable character enlisted to the police could be likened to a wolf tasked to shepherd sheep. This person is more dangerous than any class of criminal and could tarnish the image of the entire police force. However, just as one dirty cop can bring down an entire police unit, one committed police person can transform it.

The silence of ‘Action Man’ Kofi Boakye is so loud. The last time I checked on him I was informed he was in charge of some ‘research things’ in the service. When I saw this I was troubled. We need more of their kind in the front line. In all his operations in Asante region and other places, Kofi Boakye often took the fight to the criminals. It was never the other way round. My worry is that, in this my short life I have seen good and dedicated men made to sort mails in offices because their methods of doing things are not in conformity with the egos of certain individuals. They suffer this because they prefer to serve the ‘book’, will not hesitate to “touch” the “untouchable” and cannot simply look the other side when things are going wrong.

Kofi Boakye dwarfs a lot of personnel and his contemporaries.  He, just like a few of his kind, is no ‘armchair’ officer. He had that rare skill of envisioning some attacks and had the penchant of leading clampdowns with his men on a daily basis.

I hold the view that the level of perceived or orchestrated political vigilantism and other associated crimes would not have soared and lasted the way it did granted Kofi Boakye was on the ground. This begs a reecho of Chairman Rawling’s question, ‘I hope recent robberies are not politically motivated’.

Maybe the research things Action Man is engaged in serves the interest of the nation better for some people. I confess I do not share this view. If crime increases at a particular time that certain personnel are in control or are not in control then, there is certainly something wrong somewhere. My people say if a witch cries in the night and a baby dies the next morning, accusing fingers are pointed at the witch. The return of action man Kofi Boakye should be treated like the return of Super Man.

Just as mentioned before in my other opinions, the issue of crime and criminals do not often afflict us based on our political inclinations. With this, I call for the return of Kofi Boakye to where I think he belongs…the FRONT LINE.!!

Joseph Aketema

University of Ghana.

aketema@yahoo.com

MA Theatre Arts (Media Arts Option)