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0 In the early hours of Saturday morning, as the world was just beginning to stir at the Hansua Barrier near Techiman, three police officers reporting for duty had no idea they were about to encounter a test of character that would define their careers.
What they found by the roadside was an unassuming sight, a bag, the kind popularly known across West Africa as “Ghana Must Go.” It had apparently fallen from a speeding vehicle, left abandoned in the dust as dawn broke over the barrier.
But what was inside that simple sack would stagger the imagination.
A Small Fortune in Neat Stacks
Acting on instinct, the officers first checked the bag for identification. They found a name and a phone number written on it, a crucial clue. But when they opened it fully, they were met with a sight few encounter in a lifetime of roadside duty.
Packed inside, in neat, orderly stacks of 5-cedi notes, was a total of 85,000 Ghana Cedis.
It was a small fortune. A sum that could change lives, pay off decades of debt, or fund dreams for years to come. And it was sitting at their feet, with no one watching, no one to answer to.
The Choice That Defined Them
In a country where public mistrust of the police often runs deep, the easiest, most cynical path would have been clear: keep the money. No one would have known. The vehicle was long gone. The owner, whoever he was, likely assumed his life savings had vanished into the wind.
But these three officers, whose names are now being celebrated, did not hesitate. They did not calculate. They made a call.
An Official Handover, An Emotional Reunion
That call led to Monday, when at the Techiman Regional Police Command, an official handover ceremony took place. After a series of questions to verify the rightful owner beyond any doubt, the bag was returned.
The man who had lost the money, Stephen Ofori, stood before the officers who could have changed their own lives with his cash. Instead, their actions changed his perception of an entire institution.
Standing before them, his gratitude was too deep for simple words. These men had been tested by temptation and had emerged with their integrity intact, and with his future secure.
“I am honestly surprised at the conduct of these officers and I have come to learn that there good ones among the police unit and some are God fearing too”, he added.
A Standard, Not an Exception
The significance of the moment was not lost on the Regional Command, who see this act not merely as an exception to be praised, but as the standard they wish to set across the service. Speaking at the handover, the Regional Commander DCOP Owusu Ansah noted that they are “using this moment to send a clear message about the values they champion”. An appeal has also been made to the Inspector General of Police to “formally recognize the officers’ commitment, to show that honesty in the line of duty does not go unnoticed”.
A Glimmer of Hope
In a single moment on a lonely road, these three officers did more than just return a lost bag of money. They returned something far more valuable to the public: a glimmer of hope.
They proved that integrity is not just a word in a training manual, but a choice made in the moment when no one is watching. And for that choice, they have not only earned the gratitude of one grateful man, but the respect of a nation.
In an era of cynicism, their quiet honesty speaks volumes. And in Techiman, a “Ghana Must Go” bag has become a powerful symbol of what can happen when those sworn to serve choose to do the right thing.
