German Government lauds Ghana’s peace keeping efforts

Mr. Winner cutting the sod to commission the facility

Section of dignitaries present at the function

06-01-2011                  

Narration: The Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Thomas Wimmer has commended Ghana’s peace keeping efforts, describing it as worthy of emulation. According to him, the German government acknowledges the exceptional role of the Ghanaian police in international peace keeping operations and will continue to partner and assist personnel in the service for UN peace keeping missions, stressing that security, is key to democracy and development. Mr. Wimmer said this at the official handing over of an auditorium and restroom facilities to the Pwalugu Police Training School at Pwalugu in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region. The 300-seater capacity auditorium, which is being constructed by Nascron Ghana Ltd, a civil engineering company is estimated at cost of GHc97, 000. Other facilities provided for the school include a 6-seater toilet facility and an ICT centre, established to enhance the knowledge base of inmates on information technology. Isaac Asare was there for Radio Ghana.

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Section of recruits at the function

Regional Police Band in action

The Pwalugu Police Training school is among the six regional police training schools in the country. It is the brain child of DCOP Mr.  B. V Derry Retired, the former Upper East Regional Police Commander. The school began when it became necessary to increase the number of police personnel in the country. The then regional commander realizing the shortage of the manpower gap in the three regions of the north took advantage of the situation and quickly initiated the move to have the regional police training school opened in the region. It was officially commissioned in November, 2004 after fruitful consultation with the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly. The Head of Mission, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Thomas Wimmer who cut the sod to officially hand over the facilities touched on the relevance of security in national development. He revealed that one of the key mandates of the German foreign policy has always being the essence of promoting security not only in Africa but also in other parts of the continent. This, he said, explains why the German Federal Foreign Office with practical support by GIZ has for the past ten years initiated police support programme dubbed “Positive Development of Police and Security Service in Africa”. The programme he disclosed covers 13 African countries including Ghana.  In the framework of the program, the government of Germany has collaborated since 2009 with the Ghana police service in its effort to prepare personnel for UN mission. Some of the aspect of the programme he pointed out was to offer training services, provide hardware and equipments and most importantly renovate the Police training schools across the country. He said Ghana is noted as the second biggest contributor in deploring police personnel to support peace keeping missions. He therefore expressed the commitment of German government to Support the enormous fruitful effort that Ghana has already made in that regard. He commended GIZ and the police administration for their bond of cooperation and urged them to continue with the partnership.  The International Relations Director, (IRD) at the Ghana Police Headquarters, ACP Mr. John Owiredu Nkansah said the construction of the facilities was not only meant to beef up and resolve the infrastructural deficit of the school but also was in partial fulfillment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Police administration and the German government through the then German Organization for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in March 2009. He however commended the German government for their effort in addressing some of the challenges confronting the Ghana Police Service. In a speech read for him, the Regional Police Commander, ACP Bright Oduro said the provision of the facilities will help alleviate the hardship police personnel encounter travelling from Northern and Central regions to Accra for purposes of peace keeping selection and training. According to him, the renovated facilities will serve the three regions of the north in terms of peace keeping selection and training. He pledged to ensure the effective use of the facility and appealed to others to emulate the gesture. Present to grace the occasion include the Talensi District Chief Executive,Mrs Vivian Anarfo the Deputy Regional Commander of Police, ACP P.Y Gyinae,  Commanding Officer,Regional Police training School, DSP William Yankey Acolatse,  and a host of other dignitaries both within and outside the region.

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