The United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) with funding from the Government of Germany, donated personal protective equipment (PPE) in a brief handing-over ceremony to two (2) Ghanaian Law Enforcement Agencies at the forecourt of the UN Building, Cantonment, Accra.
In a welcome note, Mr. Bernard Henebeng Asamoah, National Programme Coordinator of UNODC, indicated that this marks the first phase of donation of PPE to Law Enforcement agencies. The UNODC had to rearrange its funding and programme to cater for these law enforcement agencies with PPEs while they fight crime and embark on frontline duties during the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
The ceremony, which was chaired by Mr. Charles Paul Abani (the UN Resident Coordinator) and co-chaired by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas (Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel), witnessed the donation of thousands of hand sanitizers, face masks, liquid handwashing soaps, “digital thermometer guns”, “Veronica” buckets, et cetera, to the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Immigration Service to support their fight against crime in this COVID-19 period.
The UN Resident Coordinator in his remarks reiterated the UN’s commitment to supporting state institutions such as the two (2) Law Enforcement Agencies in this COVID-19 period. He further lauded the two (2) Agencies for their immense contributions to the fight against illicit drug trafficking and trafficking in persons in Ghana.
Dr. Ibn Chambas also underscored the important role that these two (2) Law Enforcement Agencies must play in the upcoming general elections, and thus, mentioned that the donation of the PPEs has been timely in support of their work.
On the part of the Ghana Police Service, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah (Director-General, Welfare of the Ghana Police Service) expressed gratitude to the UNODC for its continuous support of the Service; and promised that the items received will be utilized solely for law enforcement work.
Also present at the event were Mr. Isaac Owusu Mensah, Director Incharge of Border Patrol of Ghana Immigration Service, Mr. Kwesi Asan-Brew, Director- Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Interior.
