President of policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, has described a directive by the Ghana Police Service to suspend motor-checks on the country’s roads as ‘absurd’.

“I have never heard the most absurd forms of policing in my entire life as I did reading the story of an order carelessly given by the Inspector General of Police to his men throughout the country”.

The Ghana Police Command issued an internal memo signed by the Commissioner of Police Ransford Moses Ninson ordering its personnel to suspend motor-checks on the country’s roads with immediate effect.

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“All motor checks in the country are to be suspended with immediate effect.”

Though the memo contained no reason for this directive, it requested that “MTTD personnel are to be used only for traffic management duties.”

The Police Wireless Message which was meant for the top hierarchy of the service also indicated that the Highway Patrol Units are to check for other things but not vehicle documents and driver’s license.

“The highway patrol units are only to check for arms/ammunition and drugs. No vehicle documents and drivers licenses are to be inspected by highway patrol.

“Regional /Divisional /District and Unit Commanders are to ensure that no permits are issued for motor check duties,”the memo added.

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Though the directive have been hailed by some Ghanaians,Mr. Cudjoe thinks the directive will only encourage lawlessness on the country’s roads.

“IGP you may have the power to bend the rules but not all rules Sir. This act of yours if true is banditry, lawless and encourages plunder on our roads,” he said in a Facebook comment.

Below is Mr Cudjoe’s Facebook comment:

I have never heard the most absurd forms of policing in my entire life as I did reading the story of an order carelessly given by the Inspector General of Police to his men throughout the country. That, they should suspend varied checks for motor traffic offences until infinity! Yes, Mr. IGP you may have the power to bend the rules but not all rules Sir. This act of yours if true is banditry, lawless and encourages plunder on our roads.This may as well be a grand act in illusions as the season of silly beckons- elections. Not too long ago, a former President must have ordered the release of taxi drivers arrested in droves for varios traffic offences and his party lost the elections. Perhaps no relationship here, but such desperate acts smacks of fear of losing power and more importantly suggests that the law can be plundered to benefit some at the expense of others. My favourite French Economist and Legislator, Frederic Bastiat was right when he said the below;

"As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose--that it may violate property instead of protecting it--then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder.Frédéric Bastiat, in "The Law"

When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law.Frédéric Bastiat, in "The Law"

Stop the legal plunder Mr IGP.