A LITTLE FLY TORMENTED MY SOUL

I forgot the lyrics of the only reggae song I learnt until Monday when this little boy of a Policeman arrested me for an offence I could swear I did not commit. "If you are the big tree, I am the small axe.." Bob Marley said so. To bring you to scratch on the whole matter, let me attempt to narrate my side of the story to you and give you direction to Accra Central MTTU to seek the versions of Inspector Nyarko and Constable Adarkwa. My arrest also gave me some new lessons on the individual differences principle. At least, I do perfectly understand that, the eight months or so training of the policeman is inadequate to change the twenty plus years of bad or good training from home/house. Good human relations displayed by Constable Dramani took away the anger and pain of arrest. He and the others in his office, treated myself and the other drivers I met 'well' unlike the two who arrested me. I was driving on one of the busiest streets of Accra that faithful Monday morning when I stopped to buy porridge ( Clear response to nature's call). After buying, I drove for about fifty meters and joined the traffic. In any case, that road has been expanded enough to take two lanes and as I write, road markings are ongoing. About hundred meters after joining the traffic, I was stopped by Adarkwa, a police constable. I stopped respectfully, he asked for my license and I obliged. He the accused me of driving on the shoulders of the road; I was shocked but kept my cool. I organized myself and tried an explanation but this young 'arrogant' policeman will not even stop to listen to me. He wrote on a piece of police chit and put into my hand and left. A phone number was written behind this paper but all calls to the line were never answered. At noon, I reported to the station. Thankfully, the first person I met was Adarkwa. I greeted and introduced myself as his 'arrestee'. He asked me to go see Ins. Nyako, whilst going, he followed me and overtook me when I stopped to speak to a known senior officer. He went ahead of me and shouted at me to follow him. When I got to him finally, I asked him to exercise patience and this statement was enough to make him angry to the extent of talking on top of his voice. I told him that my advice is because he 'maltreated' me at the point of arrest and was continuing. He took offence, reported same to Nyarko who also, surprisingly, without asking me why, took offence and asked if I did not commit the offence to which I said no. He hurriedly reported me to his superior for being difficult and put me behind the counter for over three hours. Dramani came for me later on, took my statement, interacted with me and asked that I report in three days time. The superior officer I met earlier met me again and requested that we spoke to Nyarko and Adarkwa. It took the heart of God and the gods of the land to stand these two unprofessional men. Insults, insinuations, castigation...Oh my GOD! I walk away quietly thinking that, if I had fasted that morning, that would not have happened. I reported the third day ready to be taken to court as was promised but thankfully, Dramani handed my license to me without demanding a dime from me. I believe strongly that, our roads need to be safe. I also believe that the police must check all road users. I also believe that in checking road users, the police will not always get it all right but the users must be handled well irrespective of the offences committed. Nobody is above the law; true. Nobody should suffer for committing no offence.