Mr Christian Tetteh-Yohuno, Inspector General of Police (IGP) has commended Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, for his contributions to peace and security in Ghana.
He said the Asantehene’s mediation efforts in the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute, Yendi and the protracted Bawku crisis had helped restore peace and stability.
The IGP said this when the Asantehene paid his maiden visit to the Police Headquarters, Accra, on Tuesday.
He said the interventions had yielded practical recommendations that continued to guide security operations.
“It is worth noting that chiefs as custodians of land, culture and customs remained indispensable partners in maintaining law and order,” he added.
Mr Yohuno said in the Ashanti Region, the Asantehene had intervened in several land and chieftaincy disputes, restoring sanity, reducing violence and making policing more effective.
On illegal mining, he said the Asantehene’s directive urging chiefs to take firm action against the practice in their jurisdictions demonstrated the continued relevance of traditional leadership in addressing modern security challenges.
Mr Yohuno also praised the Asantehene for his consistent support for the Ghana Police Service through counselling, guidance and encouragement, particularly to the Ashanti Regional Police Command.
He said the visit revisited history, noting that before the advent of modern European-style policing, African societies, especially the Ashanti Kingdom, had well-established systems of law, order and justice.
The IGP said the Ahenfie policing system, administered through the Ashanti Courts, was among the earliest forms of organised policing.
He said those traditional mechanisms ensured social order, dispute resolution and community safety through customs deeply rooted and respected by the people.
Mr Yohuno said with the introduction of colonial policing, indigenous systems were not erased but blended into emerging state structures, shaping contemporary policing.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II called for partnership in community policing and said: “Let officers be trained to understand the customs of the people they protect. Let dialogue precede confrontation.”
He said when traditional authority respected legal authority, communities stabilised, while police respect for local customs deepened cooperation.
The Asantehene said society can not outsource morality entirely to the state and expect peace.
