As the image of the Ghana Police Service dips in the wake of its handling of narcotics cases, President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday re-echoed the call for the Service to purge itself of the infamy, urging all personnel and society to expose the "bad nuts' in their ranks. "Government is determined that the Service is purged of this stigma that undermines its very raison d'Etre. I therefore urge all personnel to be resolved to expose the bad nuts in their ranks that are tarnishing the hard-won image of the Service," he said at the 41st Cadet Officers' graduation of the Service at the National Police Training School in Accra. "The society as a whole should stand behind the Service generally, to weed out the miscreants. "The Service is a disciplined one and there must be no room for recalcitrance and incorrigibility among personnel. The Police Administration must show leadership of the highest quality, to set the needed example for the rank and file to follow," he said. President Kufuor also decried the increasing rate of armed robberies and what he described as "smart crimes", especially in Accra, Kumasi and Tema, even though the general crime rate in the country had reduced significantly. Noting that the sophistication of robberies and its ramifications created new challenges for the Service, he implored the GPS to "develop the necessary flexibility to meet them effectively", saying, "Government is committed to making the necessary provision to equip the service for this purpose." President Kufuor called on the Service to exhibit professionalism, effectiveness and social commitment that would guarantee free, fair and credible elections, as the nation braced itself for the upcoming polls. He thus urged the Electoral Commission, the political parties, institutions and the public to support and cooperate with the police for a successful election in December. President Kufuor bemoaned the rate at which chieftaincy and ethnic clashes were erupting in the country, saying, "They are a drain on the society and economy, and mar the otherwise positive law-abiding image of our country." He entreated opinion and religious leaders, academicians and influential people in society to use their positions to champion the cause of peace in the respective traditional areas. Reflecting on the state of the Service, President Kufuor said heavy investments were being made to provide residential accommodation in many barracks, but much more remained to be done to find a lasting solution. Government, he said, was engaged with some companies in designing modern and suitable barracks for police service personnel in strategic areas in the cities, adding that, agreements were expected to be reached in the course of the year for the policy to be implemented, as part of a general Re-development of Barracks Policy for Security Services approved by Cabinet. He commended district assemblies who had shown great initiative by building police stations with modern infrastructure in their respective jurisdictions, and urged them to make arrangements to house the policemen and women, as government intended extending the services of the police to the remotest parts. President Kufuor used the occasion to also commend the Service for the "dedicated service and professionalism" displayed during Ghana's 50th Anniversary celebration, the African Union Summit, the Ghana CAN 2008 tournament and the 12th UNCTAD Conference, that made these event-free. "This should convince the nation of the great potential of the Police Service. Government will go to all ends to help the Police to realize and sustain this potential to underpin the law and order of the country", he said. President Kufuor, before conferring the Presidential Commission on the 137 graduates, including four Liberians, asked them to uphold the rules and regulations of the Service, and to let their conduct reflect the quality of training they had received at the College. "You must gird your loins for the task ahead of you and always let integrity, truth and fortitude be your guiding principles...You will excel in your career if you work assiduously with these principles and collaborate with your seniors, your peers and junior officers,” he said. The graduating officers, who turned out smartly dressed at the parade grounds of the Police Training School, underwent a six-month course at the Police College. Assistant Superintendent of Police Charles Asiamah Agyei was adjudged the Overall Best Cadet. Source: GNA