Claim that Joe Mettle was police before becoming gospel musician, false

Claim: A photo of Ghanaian gospel musician Joe Mettle in a police uniform has been trending on social media, with many accounts and news portals disseminating that he abandoned his job as a police officer to embrace the gospel music ministry.

Verdict: False! Although Joe Mettle confirmed he is the one in the police uniform, he denied ever being enrolled in the Ghana Police Service after DUBAWA contacted him.

Again, what the shoulder cord, also known as the whistle lanyard, on the right side of Joe Mettle’s uniform depicts, is not an official Ghana Police Officer rank uniform.

Full Text

One X user, AL Varo X (‘@al_varo777’), has amassed over 300,000 views and over 100 comments after he posted an old photo of Joe Mettle in a police uniform, where he juxtaposed it with a current one of him to motivate his followers.

The photo, captioned “Never Give Up,” urged followers to believe Joe Mettle transitioned as a police officer.

It garnered over 500 reposts and attracted diverse reactions on the digital platform. Some were surprised, saying they never knew Joe Mettle was in the police force. Some local news websites also published the story.

On Facebook, a page, ‘Chodarich Ghanamusicweb,’ posted the two photos with the caption, “Joe Mettle was once a policeman. What really happened before he switched?”

This statement suggests that Joe Mettle was once enrolled as a policeman for his followers, and it equally garnered some comments.

Another Facebook user, Ghana Nsem Everyday, posted a photo of Joe Mettle in a police uniform with the caption,

“Joe Mettle was once a police officer? This picture of him in the police uniform has been trending.” Shortly after, the page’s admin suggested that “maybe the gospel musician resigned” from the police force before he embraced the music craft.

Meanwhile, when one popular blogger ‘Dr Sneaker Nyame’ with the handle @SneakerNyame_, posted the two photos, asking his followers, “Joe Mettle was once a policeman?” the answers he got suggested many were ill-informed or confused about the photo.

One of his verified followers, Juniorjhayy, @jacksonjhayy, told Sneaker Nyame that “Joe Mettle was one of the big police officers in Ghana, while another follower, Kwame Osei Owusu who believed the reply, followed up with a riposte: “Saaa so DSP Kofi Sarpong is not the only Gospel musician and police. Wow.”

Similarly, some blog posts handled by Mercy Mensah and Isaac Appiah on the Ghanaweb digital platform shared similar stories with their followers, confirming that Joe Mettle was a public officer before he switched.

With this information spreading like wildfire, DUBAWA decided to investigate to uncover the truth.

Verification

DUBAWA first called Joe Mettle’s management. Ruth Elinam Yevu, one of his core team members, confirmed they had seen the photo but debunked the assertion that he had been a police officer before.

Joe Mettle also denied it. The ‘Bo No Ni’ hitmaker said that although he was in the photo, it was only for a purpose.

He told DUBAWA: “I have never been in the police force. It was just a character, and it took place a long time ago. I think it was a music video for a peace song back in the day. There were others also dressed in similar regalia.”

Also, DUBAWA’s research revealed that police officers in the country wear their uniform’s cords (whistle lanyard) on the left shoulder.

In Ghana, a whistle lanyard is a cord or strap worn by police officers to hold and secure a whistle. It is typically attached to the shoulder part of the uniform for easy access.

The whistle is a traditional tool police officers use for signalling and communication, especially in situations where verbal commands might not be effective or where police officers need to catch someone’s attention quickly.

Meanwhile, in some police forces, including Ghana’s, the style, colour, or presence of a whistle lanyard can sometimes indicate rank or specific duties.

In these cases, higher-ranking officers may have distinct lanyards or cords as part of their uniform that set them apart from junior officers. This difference can be subtle, like a different braid or colour, and is meant to provide a visual cue to their position within the force.

Conclusion

The claim that gospel musician Joe Mettle was a police officer before entering the music industry is false.