There is crime everywhere apart from heaven – IGP reacts to critiques

• He said anybody who calls for his resignation because of the growing insecurity doesn’t know what he is talking about

• Police Constable Emmanuel Osei was shot by some unknown armed robbers on Monday

Inspector-General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, has come under immerse criticisms over growing insecurity in the country with some security analysts calling for his resignation.

He told journalists after he visited the residence of the late Police Constable General, Emmanuel Osei, who was shot by some armed robbers on Monday, June 14, when he was providing escort to a bullion van.

The IGP indicated that, despite the alarming rate of insecurity, Ghanaians should lower their expectations from the police because crime is experienced everywhere including developed countries so, the recent spate of crime is not peculiar to Ghana.

“We are doing what we can to protect the people of Ghana. There is no society in the world where there is no crime. Even in the USA, UK and Sweden, where they, more or less have everything, they still have crime. The only place that doesn’t have crime is heaven and we are not in heaven,” James Oppong-Boanuh said.

“So, if any so-called security analyst is saying that we are not on top of our game and that’s why these things are happening, he does not know what he is talking about,” he charged.

The IGP noted the Ghana Police Service is resolving the challenges it is currently facing, adding that more security personnel have been deployed on the roads to intensify patrol.

“Normally, in a security system, if you have a strategy and the strategy is breached, you go back, regroup and after making your assessment, you try to mend those breaches and that is exactly what we are going to do.

“We will intensify the patrols to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

He assured the bereaved family and the entire country that the culprits who committed the gruesome murder of Emmanuel Osei and Afua Badu will be captured to face the full rigours of the law.

“We are investigating; which we have already set in motion. If you recall, yesterday we released a statement and before that I had instructed the CID to take over the case, and that is the level of seriousness we have attached to the case. So, they have started investigations. And as I have indicated, we will definitely get them [the perpetrators].”

Adam Bonaa, a security analyst in an interview on Joy FM, monitored by GhanaWeb, called for the resignation of the IGP, James Oppong-Boanuh, due to his inability to bring an end to the rise in daylight robberies in the country.

He said, “I am putting the blame at the doorsteps of the Police IGP and I am advocating that he should go, he has reached retirement, they have given him two extensions so he should go home for more enthusiastic, energized officers who are within the 60 years limit to take over and probably put a bit more enthusiasm into the Ghana Police.”