In the last two
days, the name, Dampare, has been trending in both mainstream and social media.
This follows public conversations about the content of a leaked audio recording
that reveals a plot against the current Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr.
George Akuffo Dampare.
The recording
features a voice that is said to be that of a Commissioner of police in a conversation
with a senior member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The leaked tape
mainly features a discussion on why the current IGP must be sacked. In the
conversation, the senior police officer accuses the IGP of many things and says
the NPP cannot win the 2024 elections with Dampare as IGP.
It is not
surprising to hear that a top police officer is against an IGP for one reason
or another. The current exposé, however, reveals a rather bizarre and
dirty plot against the IGP and also provides credence to ongoing speculations
about some clandestine attempts to seek the removal of Dr. Dampare as IGP.
All the
machinations and plots are meant to achieve one thing – convince the President
to sack the IGP. Even though it is difficult to read the mind and intention of
the President, for once, I am convinced that President Akufo-Addo, will not
fall for the dirty plots.
My convictions
are based on the following firm predictions and reasons:
First of all, I
can predict that President Nana Akufo-Addo will not want to go down in history
as the President who presided over the annihilation of Ghana’s most priced
asset, which is our peace and stability.
Secondly, I
believe that President Nana Akufo-Addo will not want to go down in history as
the President under whose tenure Ghana’s long march to democratic consolidation
was curtailed.
Thirdly, I have
some conviction that President Akufo-Addo will not want to go down in history
as the President under whose reign civil war erupted in Ghana as a result of
some desperate attempts to impose his political party on the people of Ghana
even if the people choose to reject his party in the 2024 elections.
Finally, I can
confidently predict that President Akufo-Addo knows very well that if the NDC,
under the very charismatic and brave Jerry John Rawlings, lost the 2000
elections and handed over power peacefully to the NPP’s John Agyekum Kufuor,
then the will of the Ghanaian people will always reign supreme.
It is on the
basis of these convictions that I have no doubts that President Akufo-Addo will
not heed to any orchestrations and sinister plots to remove the man who has
proven to be exactly the one he needs to protect and preserve Ghana’s most
valued asset – peace and stability. Certainly, the President should want to
hand over Ghana to whoever emerges winner of the 2024 elections in peace and
not in pieces.
It is unwise for
anyone to assume that President Akufo-Addo does not know that what he needs the
most to govern the country is not political sycophancy but internal security of
the state, which Dr. Dampare is admirably helping him to have.
Also, anyone who
assumes the President will be naïve to remove Dr. Dampare must be someone who
doesn’t follow the President’s pronouncement about his appreciation of the
performance of the IGP or someone who simply disregards what the President says
as useless commentary. This is because IGP Dampare has received praises and
commendations from the President more than any other appointee.
The President
appointed Dr. Dampare as acting IGP in July 2021. In September 2021, the
President publicly praised him and stated that he (the IGP) had vindicated his
decision to appoint him as IGP.
In early October
2021, the President confirmed Dr. Dampare as the substantive IGP and commended
him for his great works during the few months he acted as IGP. Later that same
month, during the swearing-in of the Police Council, the President again
praised the IGP saying: “The IGP’s actions thus far, have received the strong
backing of Ghanaians and many are now realizing that if you fall foul of the
laws of the land you will not be spared.”
In March 2022,
during the presentation of the statement on the State of the Nation (SONA) in
Parliament, President Akufo-Addo singled out the IGP for praise. Here is what
the President said on that auspicious occasion: “Mr. Speaker, I believe we can
all testify that our Police Service is undergoing a great improvement and a
change of image before our very eyes. During times of anxiety, we need a
responsive police service to boost the confidence of the population and it is
good to see the police rise up to the challenge. The police service is
gradually regaining the trust and confidence of the public, under the
leadership of its new IGP.”
In February
2023, President Akufo-Addo continued with his praises for the IGP. Here is what
he said about the leadership and performance of the IGP: “We see the discipline
that has been restored to our roads, the enhanced police visibility and general
discipline in society under the leadership of the IGP Dr. Akuffo Dampare. I
want to assure him that he has my full support and the support of my government
to continue his transformation of the police service.”
And just a few
months later, in April 2023 the President said: “I want to commend the outstanding
Inspector General of Police and his team for the deployment of officers across
the country for the Easter festivities. Your officers could be seen everywhere
in our streets smartly dressed on their motto bikes and on our roads, all in
the bid to protect the people.”
So why would
anyone think that the President can be praising the IGP all the time and
suddenly turn around to remove him just to satisfy some sycophants under the
false pretext that an IGP can help a party rig or win elections?
In fact, the
conspirators against the IGP ought to have also known that having contested for
President for four consecutive times, President Akufo-Addo, knows very well
that what is needed to win an election is super performance and quality of
message, and not a malleable, unprofessional, sycophantic and an overtly
partisan IGP. Such an IGP can only bring about lawlessness, chaos, insecurity
and instability.
The President
knows very well that President John Kufuor won the 2000 elections not because
the then IGP, Mr. Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri, was an NPP member or appointed by
candidate Kufuor. Peter Nanfuri was appointed by former President Jerry
Rawlings of the NDC. Yet the NPP won the 2000 elections.
President
Akufo-Addo knows very well that he lost the 2008 election not because IGP
Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, was an NDC member or appointee. He was appointed
by President Kufuor, yet the NPP lost the 2008 elections.
The President is
also fully aware that he won the 2016 elections by a landslide against the then
incumbent, John Dramani Mahama, not because the then IGP, Mr. John Kudalor, was
and NPP member or appointee. Mr. Kudalor was appointed as IGP by his
competitor, President John Mahama on February 19, 2016 (the year of the
elections), yet he, Nana Akufo-Addo, won that election with over one million
votes.
So certainly,
the President knows that an IGP neither conducts elections nor collates
results. The President knows that an IGP does not assign police officers as
party agents or polling station officers. In the context of elections, the
IGP’s job is to professionally lead the police to ensure peace, law and order
as was exemplified by IGP Dampare in the recent Kumawu and Assin North
by-elections.
From the
foregoing, I also find the reaction of the opposition NDC to the ongoing
brouhaha about IGP and elections, quite strange. This is because, I believe NDC
officials will also know, or at least should know, that President Mills did not
lose the 2000 elections to John Kufuor because of an NPP-affiliated IGP.
It must also be
clear to the NDC that President Mills did not win the 2008 elections because of
there was an NDC-affiliated IGP at the time. Of course, the NDC also
knows that it did not lose the 2016 elections and the 2020 Presidential
elections because of the conduct of an IGP.
So, it is,
therefore, baseless for senior members of the NDC to be saying that they will
resist any attempt to remove IGP Dampare in order for the NPP to rig the 2024
elections.
It may be worth
reminding the NDC that, an IGP does not collate results. An IGP does not gather
pink sheets for a party. An IGP does not appoint who represents the party at
the strong room of the Electoral Commission (EC) during collation of results at
the national level. An IGP cannot also prevent a party agent at the EC’s strong
room from focusing on having tea with the EC chairperson, instead of remaining
vigilant in the results collation process.
I can understand
the NDC’s defence of Dr. Dampare for his exceptional professionalism and
leadership as IGP, but that should be done devoid of needless partisanship and
false elections-rigging conspiracy theories.
It is not for
nothing that for the first time, we are witnessing overwhelming public support
for an IGP. The Ghanaian people know true leadership, when they see and
experience one. For once, let’s leave the partisanship and hatred and support
Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to continue with his exceptional effort and
leadership to build the Ghana Police Service we want and deserve as a nation.
Source: Sulemana
Braimah || CITINEWSROOM
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