IT Department of Valley View University Graduate Police Personel of 4 Weeks ICT Training

Group photo of Police personnel and Delegation from VVU

Thirty Police Officers from the 11 Police regions of Ghana have graduated from a 4-week intensive ICT Training programme organized for the Service and facilitated by the IT Department of Valley View University (VVU).

The training programme which took place at the National Police Training School was funded by the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC).

In this age of increasing cyber crime the aim of the training programme was to equip police personnel with skills for fraud detection, security and forensics. Participants also acquired skills in systems and network administration as well as office administration.

Some of the courses the personnel were taken through were Microsoft Office Specialization, Linux Administration and Ethical Hacking.

During the graduation ceremony, the Director-General of R&P/ICT of the Ghana Police Service, COP/Mr David Asante-Apeatu noted that the training programme had lived to expectations.

COP Asante-Apeatu hoped that the experiences acquired by the participants would further enhance the capacity of the Police in preventing crime in general and electronic crime in particular.

He expressed appreciation to the facilitators from VVU. He also thanked GIFEC for their support.

“I believe the relationship which has developed between us over these few years will be improved as we look forward in unity to ensure enhanced law enforcement to create a congenial environment,” he said.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister for Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah underscored the government’s commitment to using modern technologies that will contribute massively to the country’s socio-economic development. He hoped that the skills acquired during the training would be put to good use.

“It is our hope that the knowledge acquired by these thirty policemen and women will enable the police Administration deal with the increasing rate of cyber crime,” Dr Omane Boamah noted.

The Minister admitted that there were gaps in the country’s ICT regulatory regime and therefore touched on effort being made by the government to curtail cyber crime. The efforts included the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Communications of Ghana, the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats and the ITU on the establishment of a National Computer Incident Response Team which is to prevent and mitigate cyber security. He also mentioned the Child online Protection (COP) programme which aims at tackling cyber security holistically, addressing legal, technical, organizational and procedural issues as well as capacity building and international cooperation.

The minister assured the Ghana Police Service of the support of his Ministry in ensuring that the Service developed the required capacity to become the best in the sub-region.

The Vice Chancellor of VVU, Prof Dr Dr Daniel Buor who was present at the graduation ceremony also bemoaned the rising rate of crime in the Ghanaian society and emphasised the need for modern ways of fighting crime which includes the use of Information Technology. He also thanked GIFEC for supporting the initiative.

The Vice Chancellor also thanked the Police Administration for the opportunity given to VVU to be engaged as facilitators for the training programme.

“Our doors are opened to all. We hope this has established a permanent functional relationship between the University and the Police Administration,” Prof Buor said.

Present at the ceremony were other dignitaries such as the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, Hon. Kofi Attor, CEO/Administrator of GIFEC and the Dean of the Faculty of Science of Valley View University, Mr Edward Danso Ansong.