The Vice-President, His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Tuesday, 18th July 2023 commissioned Ashanti North Regional Police Headquarters at Mampong in the Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region. The office complex for the Ashanti North Regional Police Command has a police station with offices and auxiliary facilities, was built and donated to the police by Mr. Yaw Amponsah Marfo, popularly called Agya Wiase who also added 2 motor bikes and a pick-up to facilitate the operational activities of the police. Addressing the gathering at the commissioning and launching ceremony, the Vice-President noted that government cherishes and welcomes community-police collaboration in the provision of infrastructure and logistics to support efficient policing in the country.
He said peace and order depend on security and emphasized that security is very vital to engender progress and development of every society, stressing that without security there cannot be any development whatsoever. Dr. Bawumia pointed out that individuals, institutions, and corporate bodies who volunteer to assist in whatever way possible to enhance security in the country especially at the community level must be recognized and appreciated. Dr. Bawumia commended Agya Wiase for his selflessness and philanthropic work to building the Ashanti North Regional Police Headquarter (Agya Wiase Station) – in record time of 3 months and said such kind gesture is worth emulating. He, therefore, used the occasion to urged corporate bodies, private sector and industry players to take a cue from this and support the government in the provision of public goods for the interest of the general public. The Vice-President was very happy to note with much appreciation that Mr. Amponsah Marfo has also agreed and even started to build a Divisional Office complex for the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at Mampong.
Responding to an appeal made by the Mamponghene, Daasebre Dr. Osei Bonsu II in his address that the police would need 6 pick-ups in order to enhance their efficient operation, Dr. Bawumia promised that he would discuss the issue with the police administration to see how best the request could be met. On his part, the Director-General, Administration, of the Ghana Police Service, COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, who represented the IGP, Dr. George Akufo-Dampare, disclosed that the provision of security has now become a shared responsibility between the police and the community, and that community need to support the police administration to help maintain law and order and minimize crimes in the society.
COP Tetteh Yohunu expressed the gratitude of the police administration to Agya Wiase for the kind gesture, adding that, such support from the community is welcomed to help enhance effective policing and improve security in the country. The Director-General in charge of Police Administration pointed out that the creation of more Police Commands, Divisions and District Police Stations in recent times are meant to ensure that police are at the doorsteps of the people so as to enable them to easily access the services of the police.
The Mamponghene, Daasebre Dr. Osei Bonsu II described Agya Wiase as a true son of Sekyere Kontonkyi who through his acts of benevolence has brought more dignity and honour to the Silver Stool. He thanked Mr. Yaw Amponsah Marfo and asked God’s blessings for him. Turning his attention to the police, Daasebre Dr. Osei Bonsu said the police in the Mampong Municipality are very dedicated and committed to work, adding that, their professionalism as well as effective and efficient policing has contributed significantly to make municipality witnessed very few crime cases. Mampong hene appealed to the Vice President, who doubles as Chairman of the Police Council of Ghana to give the police in Mampong additional 6 Toyota Pick-ups to supplement their stock to enhance their operation. He also expressed his deepest gratitude to the Vice President, whom he described as his son, for paying him a visit at his palace and also taken time off his busy schedule to commission the newly built police headquarter in his land. He further said he hoped to see Dr. Bawumia again next year at his 85th birthday celebration, adding that he was expectant the police would have the 6 pick-ups before his birthday.
In his remarks, Mr. Yaw Amponsah Marfo, a native of Asiam, a community in the Mampong Municipality, who financed the entire project, said he believes that it was the society- the Mampong Municipality, that has made him who he is today, and that he deemed it more appropriate to give back to society through benevolence. Agya Wiase, who is the transport owner of VIP Buses branded YESU DEA, underscored that government alone cannot shoulder all the responsibilities of catering for the needs of Ghanaians, stressing that community-government partnership to building development projects should be the way to go to improve the infrastructural base of the country especially at the local level. Mr. Amponsah Marfo, a former police officer, stressed that the provision of resources to facilitate the work of institutions especially the security agencies is crucial to among other things stimulate peace and order needed to promote harmonious co-existence and safety in the country. He disclosed that he sees his gesture as the little contribution he can make to helping society improve in terms of its security needs.
Among the key personalities who graced the event included the Mamponghemaa, Nana Agyakomah Difie II, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Mampong, Thomas Appiah Kubi, MP for Mampong and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong as well as some MPs. Others were the immediate past Ashanti North Regional Police Commander, who was the first to head the command, DCOP (Rtd.) Anderson Fosu Ackaah, Director-General in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), COP Mrs. Faustina Andoh Coffie and other Top Police Officers. The rest include Nananom, academia, the clergy, Moslem community, NPP Constituency Executives and supporters as well as heads of institutions and the media. former Ashanti North Regional Police Commander DCOP (Rtd.) Anderson Fosu Ackaah, COP Mr. Afful Boakye Yeboah, Director-General in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID)COP Faustina Andoh Coffie
