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Rohee threatens to “kick ass” for the next five years
“The police haven’t really seen me get upset as yet, but in this new term I intend to get upset…because after this new term, that’s it for me,”
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has declared that he intends to “kick ass” during his new
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee
term as the political head of the country’s law enforcement agencies.
Speaking to members of Community Policing Groups, at a special conference last Sunday, Rohee who was reappointed Home Affairs Minister following the November elections, believes that he has learnt a lot from his first term which began in 2006.
He stated that his first term as Home Affairs Minister was more or less a feeling out process.
He said that if after five years in the security sector and he has not learnt anything, then President Ramotar should send him home.
“These five years, I intend to kick ass…to put it bluntly…because I know people waiting outside there to kick my ass,” the Home Affairs Minister stated.
Rohee was recently under attack for what was described as his interference in the day to day operations of the Guyana Police Force, with the latest criticism coming from former Commissioner of Police, now opposition parliamentarian, Winston Felix.
The former head of the force drew specific reference to two instances that had featured prominently in the media.
Felix reminded of one incident on November 28, 2011, when he overheard a police radio transmission where ranks were being instructed “not to arrest” or touch a “known OP Miscreant” or they would face prosecution.
Felix also drew reference to the imbroglio surrounding the contentious $90M allocated to the police for elections duties, which caused Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine, to make several blistering allegations.
According to Felix, the Minister of Home Affairs sought to again interfere in the day to day running of the administration of the Guyana Police Force on this matter when there is regulation already in place to address such matters.
On Sunday Rohee issued a stern warning which was directly pointed at the Guyana Police Force.
“The police haven’t really seen me get upset as yet, but in this new term I intend to get upset…because after this new term, that’s it for me,” Rohee declared.
The Minister was referring to what he believes is a lack of initiative on the part of many administrators in the security sector.
However, his reasoning on how they should go about their functions may not go down well with many who believe that the security sector should not be compromised.
According to Rohee, Community Policing involves good relations with the community in which the operatives serve.
This, he said, should be maximized in the execution of the duty of Community Policing Groups whenever they are in need.
In other words, the Minister encouraged the CPG members to solicit help whenever it is necessary instead of approaching the Ministry of Home Affairs with every request.
“If you are working in these communities and you tell me you have such good relationship with the community, how come if you need a part for the motorcycle or you need the motorcycle to be repaired, or the vehicle to be fixed, you can’t take it to a mechanic shop with all these good relations you have and get them to fix it for you free of cost?” Rohee said.
He explained that the CPG is protecting the community and the community in turn should reciprocate.
“So we gat pay back time,” Rohee declared.
“If you have a person who has a gas station and you are desperately in need for some gas…you mean to tell me that since you have all this good relationship in the community, you can’t go to that man and ask him to give you a pint of fuel?”
The Minister’s statement is akin to sanctioning begging by members of the security sector, similar to what obtained in relation to the Guyana Police Force’s elections duties when a few divisional commanders had indicated that they were instructed to solicit the assistance of members of the public to feed their ranks.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had distanced itself from such a scenario, infirming that the instructions to solicit the help of the public did not come from that agency.
Many had criticised this practice since they argued that it invariably leads to corruption.
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