The Herald is picking up reports about anger and tension among personnel of the Ghana Police Service on a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, over what they reveal is an attempt by their superior officers back home to shortchange them.
The policemen are angry at the decision by their Ghanaian superior officers to pay them in local currency; the cedi, even though the United Nations (UN) pays them in dollars.
What is worse is that, they are not paid the prevailing exchange rate anytime they withdraw. Their superior officers decide on, and in an agreement with officials of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB).
They also complained about being cheated by the police administration as they pay them US$35, although the UN gives Ghana a US$100 a day per policeman.
This is said to have sparked anger amongst the policemen on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeeping mission.
Some sources back home in Ghana, told The Herald that things are getting to a tipping point and sooner rather than later, the policemen, could stage a demonstration in South Sudan to embarrass Ghana.
The policemen, numbering over 275 and led by one Superintendent Daniel Turkson, are spending one year on the peacekeeping mission. They have so far done a little over nine months.
It was revealed that, ahead of the trip, every member of the contingent was forced by the Police administration to open dollar account with GCB for them to get paid the daily wage. This was in spite of the fact that, most of them already had dollar accounts with different banks.
Another reason for the anger is that, they are often told there is no money anytime they intend to withdraw money for their relatives back home for projects they are executing.
“Anytime you want to withdraw from the forex account, they will say no money. When you try to take dollars, they only tell you that they have only cedis”.
