• The IGP has directed all banks to get armored bullion vans by the end of June

• He says any bank who fails to adhere to the directive will not have police escort

• Captain Smart has questioned why the IGP is acting now

Broadcast journalist Godsbrain Captain Smart has questioned the commitment of Inspector General of Police, James Oppong-Boanuh to protecting the lives of police officers in the country.

Captain Smart on his Onua TV show poured scorn on the IGP’s directive to financial institutions in the country to purchase armored bullion vans by July 1 else he will withdraw polive escorts for the vans.

After playing a video of the police statement on the directive as read by the Superintendent Sheila Buckman, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Police Service, Captain Smart indicated disapproval for the contents.

Examining the posture of Sheila Buckman, Captain Smart posited that the constant rolling of her eyes indicated that she did not believe in the statement which had been ordered by the IGP.

Taking on the IGP, Captain Smart listed instances where police personnel on bullion vans have been attacked in the last three years and questioned why the IGP did not take any drastic action.

He averred that latest order to the banks was a knee-jerk reaction to the issue of safety of police officers.

“Tweaa, stop saying that. Sheila should stop saying that. What she is saying is not true. Her facial expression even betrays her. If someone is speaking to you and she has little belief in what she is saying, the visual cultures pan like camera. We are not kids in the country.

“Police officers are not people you can joke with. It is not Sheila, she is just a messenger. Ask the IGP if a police officer was not killed in another bullion van incident. The same thing happened in 2019 and 2020 so if he valued human lives why would he wait till now to issue an ultimatum to banks to purchase armored bullion vans. It’s a lie.

“A policeman was shot in a bullion van and nothing was done. How many meetings will the IGP do when the men working under him are being killed like rats. Within six months there have been six attacks on bullion vans. Are you not scared? You are waiting for June ending,” he said.

Captain Smart’s comment comes on the back of a statement by the police that effective July 1, police officers will offer escort service to only fortified armored bullion vans.

“The IGP is also reminding the Association of Bankers to provide fortified armoured vehicles for carting currencies by the close of June 2021 as earlier agreed between them and the Police Service, else the Police will withdraw its officers from escort duties.”

• Sergeant Kwame Baidoo was stationed at the Suntreso District Police Headquarters

• He was found lying unconscious in his bathroom by his wife

• The deceased was declared dead on arrival at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

A Police Sergeant with the Suntreso District Police Headquarters, Kwame Baidoo has reportedly been found dead in his bathroom.

The officer according to a Daily Guide Report sighted by GhanaWeb was found lying unconscious in the bathroom by his wife, Sergeant Agnes Konadu who drew the attention of other officers for help.

The deceased was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for medical attention but was pronounced dead on arrival.

A police statement detailing the death of the officer reports that Sargeant Agnes Konadu upon her return from night duty on Monday, June 14, 2021, around 6:30 am found her husband lying unconscious in the bathroom.

The widow is said to have rushed to the Adankwame police station to lodge a complaint.

“Detectives from Adankwame Police Station visited the house, rushed Sergeant Baidoo to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

“The body was inspected and deposited at the same hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy”, the police report said.

An autopsy report on the deceased officer is yet to be made available.

This is even more imperative after a police officer was fatally shot and killed in a broad daylight robbery in Accra on Monday the 14th of June when armed men on a motorcycle, opened fire on a bullion van transporting cash from a business hub to the bank.

We extend our condolences to the Ghana Police Service and the bereaved families. As a professional body, we believe that his unfortunate situation must trigger the police service to review its position on their hardcore stance in blocking a peaceful demonstration by Ghanaian youths who want the best for their country.

The Professionals Forum in North America supports the #FixTheCountry Movement. It is time to do things right as a country and about time the government begins to FixTheCountry we all call home.

Sadly, another Ghanaian youth with the Ghana Police Service has been shot and killed through careless arrangements for his safety. It is high time we as a nation begin to protect the lives and properties of Ghanaians through proper ways of doing things.

Why should we move money through traffic in broad daylight and expose everyone involved in today’s sophisticated era of crime? Can we investigate the proliferation of arms in the hands of wrong people? What happened to building landing sites for helicopters or better still moving monies at night with drones monitoring in the air with live feed? Can we begin to think outside the box and prioritize the safety of our people?

Our dear nation is overwhelmed with hardship and insecurity, and it is the duty of all to call out those who have carelessly created the mess to #FixTheCountry.