Ghana Police Calls for Collaboration with Adventist Church

By: Solace Asafo, West-Central African Division News

Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Ghana David Asante-Apeatu recently called for greater collaboration with the Adventist Church as the service embarks on a transformation agenda to improve service delivery as well as train its personnel.

“I am sure ADRA Ghana can help drill some boreholes for some of our barracks facing water problems,” he said. “In the past, Valley View University helped our Service with some projects and I hope it will continue even as we work to make ICT a driver of our transformation agenda.”

Asante-Apeatu’s remarks were delivered as he addressed a delegation of Adventist Church leaders in the Southern Ghana Union Conference, who had called on him to congratulate him on his appointment and to pray for him.

Regional church president Thomas Ocran assured Asante-Apeatu of the church’s support and prayers.

“We have come to congratulate you and commend you for accepting this role,” said Ocran. “As a church, you can be sure of our support.”

Ocran said church leaders would be praying for his administration, so Asante-Apeatu’s tenure is successful.

“We will also offer counsel when necessary and, most importantly, will educate our members to be law abiding citizens, since it is our biblical mandate as Christians,” he said.

On his part, Asante-Apeatu was happy for the visit and noted that the Police Service is ready to collaborate with ADRA to drill boreholes in some police barracks, and with Valley View University, to design tailor-made distance education courses.

“My vision is to ensure that a greater percentage of the police force upgrade themselves by getting first degrees, and I am hopeful Valley View can help in that regard too,” he said.

Church leaders presented Asante-Apeatu with some Adventist literature and offered prayers for him.

The delegation later met with some Adventist police officers working at the headquarters and assured them of efforts being made to have an Adventist Chaplaincy Unit within the Ghana Police Service.

Atsah, an Adventist pastor who is also an officer working with the Homicide Unit, said he was happy about the proactive stance the church had taken.

“I commend [Adventist leaders] for visiting the IGP and voicing the church’s support for his work,” he said.

Members of the delegation included executive secretary Chris Annan Nunoo, treasurer Ebenezer Odonkor, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director Solace Asafo-Hlordzi, and Human Resource director Donna Agboka. Leaders of the local conference, Valley View University, ADRA Ghana, and the local Adventist publishing house were also part of the visiting delegation.