It saddens me to give an account of this experience.
On the morning of Saturday 20th August, 2011, I was driving on the Otano road with a friend of mine (Marina) to the Madina market; as I approached a police barrier, the policeman raised his hand, signaling for me to stop. He asked to see my driving license. I explained to him that I had left my license in another handbag at home.
“Ok, pull over to the side of the road” was his response.
I obeyed, stepped out of the car and walked toward him as he had already turned his back to stop other cars. He asked me to leave my car and go and get my license from my house. I asked him how I was supposed to go home to get my license. He suggested I take a trotro or taxi.
“But don’t I have 24 hours to produce my license?” I asked him.
“Madam, leave your car here and go home and get your license!” he said raising his voice.
By this time I had sat back down in my car with the door open. I called my aunty to let her know what was going on. She verified that I had 24 hours to get my license and so I should take my car.
“Let me speak to him” she said.
“My Aunty wants to speak to you” I said stretching my hand to give him my cell phone.
“Who is your Aunty” he responded harshly refusing to speak to her and obviously offended that I had asked him to speak to her.
“I’m going to go home, get my license and bring it to you to see or you may come with me if you want” I responded respectfully.
He stood in the way as I tried to close my door shouting. “You this small girl, you don’t respect. You want me to come home with you. I am on the job. I can’t come with you”.
I’m sure I must have looked really young; dressed simply in my jeans and t-shirt with a scarf wrapped on my head. He probably thought I was a 17 year old. He leans forward to remove my car keys from the ignition. My hand was in the way and I had the ‘are-you-seriously-going-to-take-my-car-keys’ look on my face. He quickly stands up and shouts to the other policeman across the street informing him that I want him to go home with him to show him my license.
He sits at the back seat of my car, stretches to remove my keys from the ignition and tells me to drive to the police station.
I told him he couldn’t do that but he could come home with me, especially because the distance between where we are to my house and the police station is the same.
While shouting at me and saying irrelevant things that I didn’t want to hear, I called my aunty again informing her that he’s not allowing me to go with my car. He asks to speak to my aunty. I hand him my phone, as the other policeman (his senior) comes over and shouts at me. “Herh! small girl, give me your car keys”. At this time I was thinking ‘oh great, two of them. Exactly what I need’. The policeman and I stepped out of the car. I’m sure by now the phone connection had been lost since I had very few call minutes left on my phone. I put my car keys in my handbag. The senior policeman tries to take my bag from my shoulders but I pull back.
“No, but I’ll leave my car here to get my license.” I say.
“I’ll slap you, you this small girl” he shouts raising his hand.
What I really would have liked to say “If you are a man, slap me!”, because apparently to him threatening to slap me implies that real men slap women, but I held back. Now I wish I hadn’t.
Anyway, at this time a small crowd had gathered; I was just hoping someone I knew would show up. My phone was ringing.Apparently, she had sent me Mr. Habada’s phone number (the Deputy Regional Crime Officer) but I didn’t see her text message till our way back from the market. Anyways, so I looked at the senior policeman “Officer please, my license is at home. I don’t live far at all. I have the right to go with my car but since you wouldn’t let me, I’ll leave it here, go home with my car keys and get my license. My friend and I are going to Madina market so we’ll use this way on our way back. I’ll be back in a few minutes”.
“Come, let’s go to the police station” he replied sternly, moving a bit towards me. By this point, Marina I’m sure was scared, so she pulled me aside “Elinam, just give them your keys. Let’s take a taxi home.”
“But Marina, I don’t have to leave my keys with them. This is so not right”
“I know. But just do it” she said in her sweet voice. She obviously didn’t want any more trouble.
I took in a deep sigh and said “ok”.
I locked up the car, gave the senior policeman my car keys and got my cell phone from the other policeman.
We stopped a taxi. Just as I was negotiating the price, one of the observers came to me, “Madam, all they want is a few cedis. Just give them a little something”.
“Ah, no. I won’t give them money” I responded.
“She has her license at home” Marina added.
I couldn’t believe he was giving us such advice.
Marina and I hopped into the taxi. The driver and I had agreed on GH¢6.
When we got home, my Aunty and Uncle met us at the gate. I rushed to my room, got my license and rushed out.
On our way back I asked the taxi driver if he had change for GH¢6. He said he did. As we neared the police barrier, the taxi driver gave me change for GH¢7. When I asked him why, he said that we had agreed on GH¢7 and that Marina had even agreed to pay GH¢7. Marina interjected reminding him that she was not there when we were negotiating the price. I can’t believe dude tried to lie and there was smoke coming out of his steering wheel. Ah, why this early morning too? Chale, my morning had already been filled with drama. The last thing I needed was more drama. It was too early for this. After going back and forth with him, I asked him to pull over. Marina and I got out of the taxi. I was going to give him GH¢6 and walk the rest of the way. Marina again convinced me to just let him take the GH¢7. I told her I didn’t like being cheated. She agreed with me but stated that we can’t always correct people. That sometimes we just have to leave people to God. We hopped into the taxi and I allowed him to take the GH¢7 knowing quite well that we had originally agreed on GH¢6.
In the taxi, on the way back to the police check point, I had decided to just hand over my license to the senior policeman and not say a word; in the hopes that upon checking my license, he will give it back to me and my keys. But no, this dude wanted to by all means find something against me and he apparently hadn’t finished speaking his mind. When I handed him my license and he saw that it was valid, he goes on to verbally assault me. He went on a bragging spree; talked about his daughter being married and older than me. That I think he (the policeman) didn’t have a car but that he already has a car and that if I saw the car he drives, I would be shocked; and that even if he wanted a car, he, a man, wouldn’t drive a car like mine. That my type of car is only driven by women. Speaking arrogantly, he stated that they call him Fire! So if I ever wanted to find him (why on earth, I would is beyond me!), I should just come to the East Legon Police station and ask for Fire. Then he asked me to open my car and show him my fire extinguisher and first aid kit. Marina asked the junior police man to plead with the senior policeman on our behalf since I didn’t have a first aid kit. He basically told her, we should sort it out ourselves. Marina informed the senior policeman that I didn’t have a first aid kit. He, obviously happy, said he would write a letter to have me go to court on Monday for not having a first aid kit. I was quiet the whole time and was in total shock and disbelief about the whole situation. Marina pleaded with him not to send me to court and that we were sorry. After a few minutes, he gave in saying “Tell your friend to act like you”.
“Don’t worry. I’ll teach her to be like me” Marina responded.
Then looking at me, he made a statement about how they (the Ghana police) are here to protect us and our cars. I totally ignored him, walked toward my car as he handed Marina my car keys and license. Marina and I sat in the car and we were finally off to the market.
My analyses from this incidence are that not all our policemen are well-educated. You cannot reason with them because if you respond to them then you are being disrespectful. They definitely have issues with pride and ego. They flaunt and abuse the power vested in them to enforce public safety. I write this to create the awareness that the Ghana Police Service still has a lot of improvements to make. They use their position to abuse and extort. I am disappointed. Sometimes it looks like there is no hope for our nation. I’m sure there are a few good policemen [I refuse to believe they are all like ‘Fire’] but not enough. We need a ‘Robocop’ in this country.
I don’t trust the police service in my country and that gives me great cause for alarm. I wish this wasn’t the case though. Will the situation in Ghana ever change? If so, when?
My challenge to us is that we shouldn’t settle with the status quo. Let’s all work together to make Ghana a better place. The change starts with you. Be the change you want to see!
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