He said the unnecessary interference in the work of the police by chiefs and politicians, if not checked, might fester corruption.

He has, therefore, advocated that a change in attitude would help the police to enforce the laws of the land.

Supt. Zah made the comment at a community durbar organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for the chiefs and people of Dabala Junction in the South Tongu District to promote good governance by reducing corruption and improving accountability and compliance with the rule of law.

Reducing corruption

The District Police Commander made the observation after a short drama by the Agbenya Drama Group entitled: My Ghana, Your Ghana, Our Ghana to sensitise citizens to how to identify corrupt practices and ways by which they could contribute to reduce corruption in the market, religious centres and in the community so as to help deepen public accountability anywhere they found themselves.

Speaking on the topic: “Public Accountability: the Role of the Ghana Police Service in the Fight against Corruption”, Supt. Zah said, “the Togbes have no role to play when their subjects commit crime and must desist from calling and sending delegations to the police.”

He further said the role of the police was to enforce the law and to him, the politicians must know better and stop the interference to enable all citizens reap the full benefits of the rule of law in a constitutional democracy.

The South Tongu District Director of the NCCE, Mr Oral-Robert Amenyo, in his remarks said the objective of the durbar was to sensitise the citizenry to legal regimes related to public accountability, especially on ‘Whistle Blowing’ so that they could contribute meaningfully to reduce corruption and deepen public accountability in Ghana.

Neglect of Ghanaian values

Mr Amenyo bemoaned the neglect of the rich Ghanaian cultural values and traditions that instilled discipline, nationalism and patriotism among the young ones, which he believed had resulted in the breakdown of the moral fibre of the society and manifesting in all forms of corrupt activities “everywhere in our national life today.”