The immediate past Director of Newspapers at Graphic Communications Group Limited, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, has been appointed a member of the Private Sector Advisory Board to the Inspector-General of Police to lead the transformational agenda of the Ghana Police Service (GPS).

Other members of the board are Dr Joyce Aryee, Light and Salt Ministry, chairperson; Dr Samuel Tobin of Tobinco Pharmacy; Ernest Bediako, Ernest Chemists; Samuel Awua Darko of Vanguard Assurance; Kate Quartey-Papafio of Reroy Cables and DCOP George Tuffuor, Director General Finance of the GPS. ACP David Eklu, Director-General of Police Public Affairs Directorate is a member with DSP Henry Ayisi Mensah of the Police Transformation Programme Office as Secretary to the board.

To ensure that the transformation programme becomes effective and functional, the board considered as a priority the development of basic standard qualification for recruitment into the service.

Accordingly, the board proposed to engage in nationwide consultations beginning with the government, Parliament, Police Council, leadership of the Police Command, political parties and other identified stakeholders such as the Ghana Bar Association and the Military High Command to ensure that only applicants who meet the standard are recruited into the service to ensure discipline and professionalism.

The board observed that in recent years, the qualification standard has been compromised in recruitment exercises, and it had affected the quality of personnel of the service.

Members felt the time had come for national consensus and understanding to ensure that recruitment into all the security services is underpinned by professionalism and commitment to service rather than political patronage.

The chairperson, Dr Aryee, therefore appealed to the public to participate effectively in the Police Week celebration which begins at the weekend to promote greater public and police interaction and relationship.

She pointed out that whilst the public have the obligation to point out any weaknesses in the performance of the police, it must be aimed at strengthening the service to meet the needs of the people.