Hohoe (V/R), May 18, GNA - Assembly Members of the Hohoe District Assembly on Wednesday took a swipe at the Police and expressed their resentment for the inaction and what they described as gross unprofessional conduct exhibited by Servicemen, which had led to indiscipline especially on the roads in the District. They contended that a number of drivers operated without licences; indulge in wrongful parking, overloading, driving without insurance cover and roadworthiness certificates and at times driving with only one headlamp at night.

The Assembly Members also complained about the recklessness exhibited by cyclists and motor riders and over loading of mourners in vehicles by drivers, in the full glare of the Police without arrests. They cited the loading park, which led to the entrance of the main lorry station as a notorious point for creating traffic confusion as Co-operative Transport Union and Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) scrambled for passengers.

The Members said the Police were conniving with illegal timber merchants by demanding colossal sums of money from them to plunder the forest for timber and also provide security for its haulage to various destinations.

Mr Albert M. Agra, Presiding Member of the Hohoe Assembly, who led the deliberation, said there was complete breakdown of discipline, law and order especially in Hohoe town and called for swift action. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) John Naami, Hohoe District Police Commander, said the Ghana Police Service had not institutionalised extortion, bribery and corruption and consequently urged members of the public to volunteer informatio n on personnel, who perpetuated such crimes for sanctioning.

He said the Service would deal ruthlessly with such recalcitrant personnel who dragged the name of the profession into disrepute. Mr Naami stated that the Police could not be absolved from all the allegations levelled but blamed members of the public for creating a congenial atmosphere for the Servicemen to take advantage of. He said the public had the right to check Policemen, but it should not be confrontational to assuage conflicts.

On traffic regulations, Mr Naami said, "drivers cannot obey instructions not seen on the roads" and, therefore, appealed to stakeholders including the Hohoe District Assembly, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to collaborate with the Police to ensure discipline on the roads.

He said it was against the law for a hearse to blow its alarm loudly while in a procession, and promised that the Police would deal severely with offenders.

Mr Naami said inadequate personnel and logistics normally hampered the operations of the Service especially in the District.