Takoradi, Sept. 15, GNA - A three-day training programme for 45 police personnel on international policing, marine law, human rights and how to combat criminal syndicates in the oil find zone opened at Takoradi on Tuesday.

Opening the training programme, Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, Western Regional Police Commander, said the programme was the first in a series being organized by the Regional Police to equip policemen to handle criminals when the drilling of the country's oil begins in the last quarter of the year. He said majority of policemen in the region would benefit from the training programme.

Alhaji Mahama, who is a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said those, who would be trained would form the nucleus of a special taskforce to patrol the oilfields with the Ghana Navy and other security agencies. He said the taskforce would be adequately equipped with the necessary logistics and equipment to ensure effective and efficient policing. The Regional Command would also establish police stations at Half Assini and Aiyinase to provide maximum security to oil installations and the entire citizenry. Alhaji Mahama said the Regional Police Command was gearing up to deal ruthlessly and swiftly with miscreants that might disturb the peace and harmony in the region.

He said in this regard, the Regional Police Command was re-strategizing, upgrading and equipping police personnel to meet international standard of policing. 15 Sept. 10