Correspondence from Upper East

Kassena-Nankana Municipal Police Commander, DSP Francis Oppong Agyare, has said reports making rounds that he used derogatory words against the people of Navrongo in an interview he granted a local radio station are not true.

DSP Agyare said details captured in the reports and attributed to him were not the words he said in the interview he granted the station.

He spoke on issues surrounding the surge in robbery activities in the area.

Somewhere last week, the Police commander in viral reports was alleged to have stated on a Bolgatanga based radio station that activities of armed robbers were on the rise in the area due to the negligence of residents who take shelter in bushes to smooch their girlfriends.

In the reports, the commander was quoted to have said his statement was based on Police intelligence on the causes of the surge.

The reports brought the commander under severe criticism from residents both home and away who demanded an apology from the Police. The reports also caused a resident to petition the Inspector General of Police (IGP) asking for the transfer of the commander.

But commenting on the incident at the Navro-Pio’s Palace on Friday when he responded to an invitation by the Paramount Chief, P3 Asagpaare Aneakwoa Balinia Adda II, DSP Agyare cleared the air that the statements he made in the interview were findings the Police had made in their effort to fight the robberies.

He said even though he made mention of a number of other causes that accounted for the increase in robberies in the area, the authors of the reports made their own understanding of the interview and cooked up the reports to ridicule and cause him trouble.

He added that his long years serving as a Police officer has helped him culminate knowledge and experience on how to relate and respect people, adding that insulting the Chiefs and people of Navrongo who have embraced and taken him as a brother, is something he will never do.

“When you interview me and I tell you what we can do to bring peace in an area, then you go and add things that I didn’t say to it jus to expose me to public ridicule. What’s the agenda? If I said it, fine. But did I really say what you said I said? So, the youth should be calm. Me, I’m here because of them. I will not insult them and I have not insulted them”. He cleared the air.

DSP Agyare urged the youth to stay calm and not let the reports brew unnecessary anger which could hamper efforts of the Police who have committed themselves to fight crime in the area to restore serenity.

He used the opportunity to enumerated to the Navro-Pio a number of strategies the Police was putting in place to fight crime in the area. He said Mobile Money agents in the area have been sensitized and taken through some security tips, whereas several deliberations were also being held with some groups and association in the area who can offer assistance to the Police to fight criminal activities.

DSP Agyare urged the youth to volunteer critical information which could help fight criminal activities to the Police, while assuring to keep such people confidential.

For his part, the Navro-Pio urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage on matters of security. He said there were times reports given by the media about incidents of robbery were not exactly what was on the ground. He urged media men to employ due diligence in gathering facts on issues of crime before reporting.

On the issue of the Police commander’s comments, the Navro-Pio explained he found nothing derogatory in the statement. He said upon his council’s thorough examination of a recording of the interview made available to him, he found out that the commander did not speak ill about his people.

The Navro-Pio went on to add his voice to the calls by the commander to assist the Police with vital information which could lead to the apprehension of criminals. He noted that the fight against crime was a collective responsibility and not the sole duty of the Police.