The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for a stronger alignment between the country’s cultural values and modern law enforcement, stressing that crime prevention is most effective when society’s moral foundations are intact.
He cautioned that reliance on law enforcement alone without strong cultural values would merely postpone disorder, insisting that culture remained central to shaping conduct before crime could take root.
The Asantehene was addressing a special durbar hosted by the Police Administration during a historic visit to the Police Headquarters in Accra yesterday.
The visit aimed at strengthening collaboration between traditional authority and modern law enforcement.
It was graced by the Deputy Minister for the Interior, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi; former Inspector-Generals of Police, senior officers of the Ghana Police Service and government officials.
Culture, customs
“Custom was the first law. Culture was the first constitution. It taught restraint before punishment, responsibility before rights, and harmony before victory,” the Asantehene said.
He said long before the establishment of courts, statutes and formal policing structures, communities relied on shared values, customs and social responsibility to regulate behaviour and resolve disputes.
Those traditional systems, he emphasised, helped to shape conduct and to prevent wrongdoing before it escalated into crime.
“When culture collapses, law enforcement is forced to compensate.
No number of officers, no matter how disciplined, no matter how well equipped, can replace a society that has lost its moral compass,” he stated.
The Asantehene said such understanding informed his decision to engage the Police Service in what he described as a landmark encounter between two institutions with complementary responsibilities.
“This is not a routine or a mere ceremonial visit. It is intended to be a landmark event, marking a moment in history where two ancient responsibilities meet to begin a momentous conversation,” he said.
Commendation
Otumfuo Osei Tutu expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, for the invitation and the reception accorded him and his delegation, insisting that the honour extended to him reflected respect for the institution of chieftaincy as a whole.
The Asantehene commended officers of the Ghana Police Service for their sacrifices and dedication to national peace and security, acknowledging the difficult conditions under which many officers worked to protect lives and property.
He also credited the Ghana Police Service for the country’s international reputation as a peaceful and stable country, particularly in a region and global environment often marked by insecurity and conflict.
Calling for deeper collaboration, Otumfuo Osei Tutu urged traditional authorities and the police to work more closely, especially at the community level, where early engagement, dialogue and mediation could prevent conflicts from escalating into crime.
He further called on the police leadership to strengthen integrity, professionalism and public trust, stressing that the legitimacy of law enforcement depended largely on public confidence in the values upheld by officers.
The IGP, Mr Yohuno, described the Asantehene’s visit as historic and transformative, highlighting the synergy between traditional authority and contemporary policing.
He stated that long before European-style policing, the Ashanti Kingdom had well-established systems of law, order and justice, including the Ahenfie policing system administered through the Ashanti courts.
Those traditional mechanisms, he said, ensured social order, dispute resolution and community safety.
“The fusion of traditional authority with modern policing concepts helped (to) shape the policing we know in Ghana today,” the IGP said.
He commended the Asantehene for preserving those values while modernising them, noting his consistent support for the Police Service, particularly in the Ashanti Region.
The IGP highlighted the Asantehene’s exceptional mediation skills, which had restored peace in conflicts such as the Dagbon and Bawku chieftaincy disputes, enhancing community confidence and enabling effective policing.
He emphasised that chiefs, as custodians of land, culture and customs, remained indispensable partners in maintaining law and order, citing the Asantehene’s interventions in land and chieftaincy disputes as examples of how traditional authority could reduce violence and improve policing outcomes.
“This visit challenges us to return to history, re-embrace indigenous knowledge systems, and strengthen community and tradition-based policing.
Moving forward, the Police Service will integrate cultural values, customs and local governance systems into training, orientation, and operational programmes to better understand the communities we serve and police with empathy, respect and legitimacy,” he said.
Source:
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