A survey conducted by Today has revealed that Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commander of Police (DCOP) Kofi Boakye, is one personality many Ghanaians believe distinguished himself very well in the year 2014.
In our survey three personalities including DCOP Kofi Boakye were shortlisted.
The remaining two in the shortlist were founder and President of IMANI-Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, and financial analyst and columnist, Sydney Casely-Hayford.
The survey saw DCOP Boakye stand tall above Mr. Cudjoe and Mr. Casely-Hayford.
Forty-seven (47) per cent of the interviewees across the country favoured the Ashanti regional police boss while forty-one (41) and twelve per cent respectively were pleased with the contributions of Mr. Cudjoe and Sydney Casely-Hayford respectively.
The Today poll was conducted on Friday, August 1, through to Tuesday, August 5, 2014 with 1,552 adult Ghanaians interviewed across the ten regions of the country.
And it was conducted to find out from Ghanaians the most outstanding personality for the year 2014.
But in the end, DCOP Boakye�s achievements and contributions were enormous and monumental.
For instance, prior to his appointment as Western Regional police commander, the regional police headquarters was in dire need of a facelift.
The nature of the regional police headquarters in Sekondi, according to Today�s findings, offered easy infiltration of hawkers and stray animals into the area.
But within the 10-month period that DCOP Boakye served as the regional police commander, our survey revealed many of the respondents were happy that he built a guard house and fixed a metal gate at the entrance of the regional headquarters.
He also ensured that all the floors of the various offices within the command were tiled.
Today�s survey revealed further that he started the construction of a fence wall around the headquarters and repainted the buildings.
Many of the respondents also indicated that under the command of DCOP Boakye, Western region recorded a significant reduction in criminal activities.
For instance, in 2012 a total of 24,525 crimes were reported as against 17,957 cases in 2013.
In the same vein, in his ten (10) months in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, DCOP Boakye, according to our survey, had done tremendously well to the extent that he won the admiration of the King of Ashanti, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
And it is even on record that that the Asantehene recently applauded his efforts for reducing crime in the region during the commissioning of the refurbished offices of the Ashanti Regional Police Command headquarters in Kumasi.
The refurbishment of the structures built during the colonial era was initiated by the Regional Commander, DCOP Boakye, who assumed office about 10 months ago.
Ten months ago, according to our survey, the Central Police yard was virtually a parking lot for impounded vehicles, motorcycles and other equipment some of which had not been claimed for years.
The building itself cried for repairs, after years of habitation without any major renovation.
After taking over, Today can report that DCOP Boakye cleared all the vehicles and set limits for only official police vehicles.
He also rallied companies, institutions, chiefs and well-meaning individuals to share in his vision of transforming the police service.
And the result, according to Ama Gyamfuwaa, a resident of Kumasi, who was among the interviewees, was the refurbishment of the regional headquarters.
�Offices now have tiled floors, well painted walls, modern conference rooms and a very tidy compound with well mowed flower porch and hedges are there to show for his achievements,� Gyamfuwaa pointed out.
She added that DCOP Boakye has also set up a Discipline Unit to check excesses of police officers.
And perhaps it is in the light of these, according to some interviewees in the Ashanti region that had made him the toast of the Asantehene.
For instance, Otumfuo was reported to have said �the days when criminals operated freely in Kumasi and its environs were now a thing of the past.�
According to the occupant of the Golden Stool, the Ashanti region was peaceful now mainly because of DCOP Boakye�s presence in the area.
He indicated that prior to the arrival of DCOP Boakye as Regional Police Commander, security in Kumasi was not the best.
Our survey revealed further that the Asantehene went on to describe DCOP Boakye as a �professional police officer whose hard work should be emulated by his colleagues.�
Otumfuo stated that �DCOP Kofi Boakye would not hesitate to arrest you if you flout the law whether you belong to the NDC or the NPP.�
��and if all policemen should act professionally like DCOP Kofi Boakye, Ghana would be a safe place to live,� Otumfuo added.
Today can also confirm that it is against this backdrop that President John Dramani Mahama paid DCOP Boakye a surprise visit recently.
According to report, the president, accompanied by the Ashanti regional minister, toured the new M.A. Alhassan Police Conference hall and the newly rehabilitated regional police headquarters.
President Mahama described the headquarters as �the most beautiful regional headquarters in the country� and lauded the leadership of DCOP Boakye as unique, hands-on, and deserving emulation across the nation.�
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