No one should be above the law in a democracy. No matter how important an individual might be in society, the police ought to arrest him or her, when they break the law, and it comes to their notice.
That is why it so happens that whenever some senior British Establishment figure is embroiled in a scandal, for example, they are either arrested for a brief period, in the course of police enquiries - and are then either freed or eventually prosecuted.
The MPs' expenses scandal, and the prosecution of the Coalition government's former Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne - the first British Cabinet minister forced from office by a criminal prosecution, in history - readily come to mind.
Incidentally, Huhne's case dates back to a driving offence committed as far back as 2003 - when he allegedly dodged a speeding offence, by letting his then wife, Vicky Pryce, take speeding penalty points on his behalf.
Huhne is charged with perverting the course of justice. The handling of such cases by the police, demonstrate, in a very practical manner, the fact that no one is above the law in Great Britain.
It would appear that we might be on the threshold of soon becoming just such a democratic society, in which all are equal before the law, too.
We have to thank Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Agwubutoge Awuni, for his no-nonsense approach to policing, in ordering the brief arrest of a former regional minister and member of Parliament for Korle-Klottey, the Hon. Nii Armah Ashittey - who was alleged to be interfering with the voter-registration process in his Korle-Klottey constituency.
It is time it was made absolutely clear to "big people" in Ghana, that this is a nation of laws - in which all are equal before the law: and none above it.
It is an outrage that a number of politicians who ought to know better, including Mr. Ade Coker, the chairperson of the Greater Accra Region's branch of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), are demanding the transfer from the region, of this hard-working senior police officer.
His crime? Doing his duty by ordering the brief arrest of a leading politician from the region, the member of Parliament for the Korle-Klottey constituency, the Hon. Nii Armah Ashittey.
Both the ruling NDC and the main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have been irresponsible in making statements questioning the independence of the Ghana Police Service, in the ongoing nationwide voter-registration exercise.
They are being unfair to the police - and playing a very dangerous game on top of that: in trying to erode public confidence in the police, so that their myrmidon-goons can continue to terrorise the law-abiding with impunity.
The foolish and unjustifiable demand by the NPP's General Secretary, Mr Kojo Owusu-Afriyie, for the IGP's resignation is an example - as are Ursula Owusu's open declarations in the print and electronic media, that she has no faith in the police, and will therefore make her own arrangements for protection.
And this, dear reader, is a very competent lawyer, a well-educated and highly-intelligent woman - who will doubtless become a cabinet minister, were her party's presidential candidate to win the December 2012 presidential election. Hmm, Ghana - eyeasem oo!
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye, must ignore those politicians, including the National Democratic Congress' chairperson of the party's branch in the Greater Accra Region, who are demanding the transfer of ACP Agwubutoge Awuni.
Ghana needs more, not fewer, police officers able to stand up to the high and mighty in society, like him.
If the irresponsible behaviour of those extremist politicians in the NDC and the NPP, behind the violence in voter-registration centres across the nation, is a harbinger of what is to come in the December 2012 elections, then the IGP and the men and women under his command, may very well stand between us and a descent into chaos and violence.
For that reason, and to maintain morale in the service, the IGP must demonstrate that he will always show loyalty to the professionals he leads - by ignoring all those calling for the transfer from the Greater Accra Region of ACP Agwubutoge Awuni. A word to the wise...
Tel (Powered by Tigo - the one mobile phone network in Ghana, which actually works!): + 233 (0) 27 745 3109.
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