President Nana Akufo-Addo has commisioned an ultra-modern police station for Techiman, the capital of the Techiman Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region as its Police Divisional Headquarters, during his three-day tour of the region.
The complex has offices for all the major units and officers, a waiting area and male and female cells.
A contract for the project, being executed by the Techiman Municipal Assembly, was awarded on February 23, 2016.
But due to the variations at the request of the contractor, the cost of the project had shot up to GHc 706,143.38 by the time of its completion.
President Akufo-Addo, in an address, tasked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and personnel of the service to demonstrate commitment and a high sense of professionalism in the discharge of their duties to facilitate law and order in the country as the act of policing was a shared responsibility.
“This edifice that I’m commissioning today is very important and I commend the IGP for his dedicated service to Ghana. The police station and officers who will be working here, I plead with you discharge their duties professionally for residents to know that maintenance of law and order is important. It is not only the police who will do the work but all of us here. All of us are police people and all of us must be police people to help the police to be able to do their work.”
He added that for the country to be able to deal with the rising spate of indiscipline, lawlessness and armed robbery, Ghanaians must collaborate with the police and other security agencies.
The President also appeared to take a swipe at former President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for chastising him over his campaign promise to create more regions out of the current Brong Ahafo Region.
“I promised you during the campaign that if I’m given the mandate, I will carve new regions out of the vast Brong Ahafo. Some doubted and went on to say all manner of things. But my response is short. The verdict is clear; I have done my part as the Constitution demands from petitions to Council of State to the establishment of a Commission of Enquiry to consultations of stakeholders and now waiting for the report and recommendations.”
The President reiterated government’s resolve to continue with the implementation of social intervention programmes such as Free SHS, which will be admitting its second batch in September; the restoration of allowances for trainee nurses and teachers and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), all aimed reducing poverty, are now working.
On the Planting for Foods and Jobs, he encouraged the youth to embrace the initiative and announced that 15 percent of the total investment package of the programme will be allocated to the Brong Ahafo Region.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. David Asante-Apeatu, said the provision of the structure was a demonstration of the peaceful nature of the community’s leadership and its people and was in line with government’s policy to resource the service in the country.
He, therefore, called for further collaboration between the police, chiefs and residents to aid maintenance of law and order in the country.
The Paramount Chief of Techiman, Nana Oseadeayo Akumfi Ameyaw IV made a passionate appeal to the President for the creation of the Bono East Region, highlighting the area’s resources and potential to manage their own affairs.
Earlier the President interacted with chiefs in the area in Nkoranza, cut sod for the construction of District Hospital at Akonkonti in Nkoranza North, addressed a durbar in his honour at Busunya and commissioned a District Assembly block in Tuobodom for the Techiman North Assembly to end day one of his tour.
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By: Mashoud Kombat/citinewsroom.com