The Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has blamed politicians for the politicization of the Ghana Police Service especially in the appointment of top officers.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, September 2, Mary Awelana Addah explained that the politicians have infiltrated the service with their members and not necessarily persons with the interest of serving the nation and doing so professionally at all times.
“Admittedly, it’s the politicians from the Minority and Majority party as we have, are the ones who have bred this monster for us,” he told Samson Lardy Anyenini.
According to her, the service must put in place measures to sanitise itself from its current state.
She also called on the political class to stop the infiltration into the service to enable the service to work efficiently.
Her comments come after a series of claims by the Director-General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, COP George Alex Mensah, when he appeared before an ad-hoc committee of parliament.
The police officer, who was testifying as part of a fact-finding mission over a leaked recording that suggested a conspiracy to remove the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare expressed his dissatisfaction with how the service is being managed by the IGP.
Among other things, he also stated that he sympathises with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and went ahead to suggest that top appointments and sometimes promotions in the service are political.
According to him, his entire family has been faithful to the United Party (UP) tradition from which the NPP emerged.
“Mr. Chairman, my family has been with the UP tradition ever since I was born, and we’ve remained there till now,” he said.
On July 25, the Speaker of Parliament named Abuakwa South MP, Samuel Atta-Akyea as the chairperson of a 7-member ad-hoc committee to probe the recently leaked controversial audio in which voices are heard clandestinely plotting to oust the Inspector General of Police.
The viral audio, which revealed a supposed conspiracy by a senior police officer and a leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remove the Dr George Akuffo Dampare from office, resulted in a debate on the floor of Parliament with the Minority calling for a forensic audit.
Subsequently, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin proposed the setting up of the Special Committee.
Mr. Bagbin asked the committee to submit its report by September 10, 2023.
Meanwhile, former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu and COP Alex Mensah are the two witnesses who have appeared before the committee so far.
