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Some residents in Wa in the Upper West Region, have voiced out their displeasure with a police officer who made what has been described as insulting and ethnocentric comments against them, following their protests against a police shooting incident.

Many feel the officer, Believe Amedzro, should be dismissed from the service for her disparaging remarks against the people of Wa. Following a shooting incident, some residents of Wa went on a violent protest against police, pelting stones and blocking roads leading to a police officer sustaining injury.

Criticising the demonstration, the policewoman took to Facebook and described the residents as ‘fools’ and their forefathers as ‘criminals’ among other unprintable words. Believe Amedzro also said she hated policing “in a stupid town” like Wa, adding that she was “proud to be a voltarian.”

Some of the residents of Wa spoke to Citi News’ Latif Mahama with one saying “the girl in question should be dismissed from the service because it is not moral on her part to insult the natives. If the Commander is hearing this, this girl [Believe Amedzro], you must dismiss her. We are serious about that.”

“As a lady, she should not have commented on the issue, but once it has happened, we will leave to the PIPS [Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau] to take its own course,” one other resident said. Another called on police authorities to reprimand the officer saying “I will call on the authorities that be to reprimand the lady. I don’t think she is fit to be a police officer. With these comments, everybody’s integrity is at stake… the lady needs to be reprimanded.”

Believe Amedzro has areadly been summoned to Accra by the Inspector General of Police to answer for her conduct. The Upper West Police Commander, ACP Buah Appiah, also condemned her conduct and assured that his outfit had initiated disciplinary procedures. “The Upper West Regional command has initiated disciplinary action against the said police woman so it will be the purview of the police administration in Accra to decide the outcome or the fate of the police woman.”

“It was quite an unprofessional statement and I don’t expect any member of the service, especially in the Upper West region to repeat what the woman has done,” ACP Buah Appiah. Police officer arrested in connection with Wa shooting Meanwhile, the policeman whose alleged shooting of a 23-year-old civilian riding an unregistered motorbike led to the protest by residents, has been arrested.

Addressing the media, the Deputy Regional Police Commander, ACP Edward Oduro Kwarteng confirmed that the officer involved is currently in the grips of the regional police command and assisting with investigations. He further called for calm as he said the police continued to investigate the incident.