“A nation that does not honor it heroes is not worth dying for.”
This is a very renowned byword on the globe and whereas other civilizations have taken a significant cue from it, our society has unfortunately treated it as a cliche.
It is indeed true that the persistent call to honour the fallen heroes of our police service has lost it’s value to the vision of our society but these were men and women who had wives and husbands,children and friends,families and loved ones like any other citizen yet, they chose to die for the survival of their motherland. This is an unthinkable decision one would conceive Without hesitations but they easily executed it.
Undoubtedly, Ghana is relatively peaceful and structurally stable because it is thriving on the blood of our fallen comrades. We have been spanked and chastised by society for our inability to confront certain situations despite our limited resources. Even sister security agencies like the military violently attack us in our noble quest to maintain social order. While trying to fulfil our core function; protection of life and property, we again get killed or permanently maimed.
The history of Ghana has witnessed and recorded more police officers being killed -in- action than any other public service or military in Ghana. As early as 1962, an unknown police despatch rider was killed in the kulungungu Bombing that sought to assassinate president Kwame Nkrumah in Bawku. One of the most tingling tales of our valiant police officers is told of Sergeant Salifu Dagarti who took the bullets that was meant for His Excellency the president Kwame Nkrumah.
It was on the 1st January, 1964 when disgruntled constable Ametewee shot four bullets at the Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah but his personal body guard sergeant Salifu took the pieces of iron and died in the stead of his master. “That is a faithful servant to behold.”
The tall list of police officers who have perished while serving this country cannot be captured on any memorial plaque . Constables Prince Agyare and Owusu Frimpong were murdered by the lone Robber Johnson kombian with the third cop Corporal Osei Bonsu being rendered eternally incapacitated.
Corporal Frank Essel,Constable Atibiya Ayini,Corporal Jutta Dormevenu,sergeant Williams Quansah and countless number of our men were murdered by armed criminals. Others were motor riders who died while leading presidential convoys and state protocol duties. Our traffic unit has also lost a significant number of personnel while working as wardens on our roads. But sadly, all these legends remain unsung.
I sometimes do wish that the entire members of this society would experience the cold chills of anxiety and pains that runs through our spine when the burglar burgles as the mortal remains of these cohort are being lowered into their Graves by the arm party.
I also desire that society would empathetically taste the discomfort that litter around the compound of the bereaved family relative to the trunkated life of their beloved and the blur future of their dependants [wife and children ].
It must be noted that the remarkable sacrifices made by these police officers can never be reconciled by any form of gratuity but can only be mollified by a fervent eulogy and a heroic celebration. State and police installations must also be christened after them.
I do not know when the Over a century Ghana police service would have a fully furnished cenotap to immortalize them but i suggest that a repository is created at the site to harbour literal works about them. Posthumous awards and a satisfied monetary funds must be apportioned to them via a legislation.
It can therefore be generally agreed that, a nation which does not honour valiance would certainly have it’s gates un-cordened So the need to sing of our brave police officers is now!
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