Ghana's captains of industry offered Ghana's Police Service a set of consolidated 'bribes' to pay special attention to their businesses while the Minister of the Interior looked on in 'horror' in Accra on Tuesday. The President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Tony Oteng-Gyasi, demanded 'exclusivity' and a 'WIP' unit for AGI members in exchange for cash donations, tens of thousands of Ghana cedis worth of new equipment, and eight new police stations located in industrial areas. Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, desperately tried to plead that "no monetary donations should be given; the donations should come in kind. "After the budget is read, look at what you can do to supplement it," he told the industrialists. "Unless the country itself is safe, you can build a barricade around the factories and yet the robbers will still come. Safety should not only benefit the industries, but the whole country," he exhorted. Mr. Patrick K warteng Acheampong, the Inspector General of Police, who also warned against cash donations said, "If we were to take your money, we'd have to go to the procurement board, and it will take us four months before we get anything. Just buy the equipment for us." The Police promised to provide AGI members long term improvements such as a new police district for Spintex Road, seven new police stations in targeted industrial areas, and new accommodation for 220 officers. They solicited the support of the industrialists help them provide the land and capital for these projects, as well as hi-tech equipment, including 60 cameras to build a closed circuit television. The Police Officers also expressed the general need for 500 police radios, a monitoring facility for the CCTV network, 200 cameras for Accra and Tema and 200 motorbikes. Dr. Addo-Kufuor said he was impressed by the level of support from the industrialists adding, "but we should concentrate on the short term; if you are going to plan in the long term, as a politician, I suggest you wait until after the elections". He said he hoped the AGI would be able to provide supplementary support to the Police Service to help them work effectively. He said “the government has made significant strides in improving the resources available to the Police Service. The most damming statistic is the average salary of a Constable, which, before 2001, was a shocking GH¢ 198.17 per annum, and has now been increased to a paltry GH¢963.81.” Representatives from companies including Graphic Communications Group; Coca Cola; MTN; Ecobank; Fan Milk; Goil; GHACEM; Tigo; Stripes Manufacturing and the Ghana Water Company, were present at the meeting. Source: Daily Graphic