As Ghana prepares for particular voting tomorrow, December 2, 2024, tensions are rising inside the Ghana Police Service (GPS). ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo (Rtd), a former senior officer who was accused, arrested, and tried for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Akufo-Addo authorities—however later acquitted by the courts after over 5 years of what he described as “persecution”—has ignited political and institutional debate with a daring Facebook publish. In it, he claims that just about 80% of GPS personnel are more likely to vote in opposition to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), citing widespread dissatisfaction with the present management of the police service.
Dr. Agordzo’s assertions spotlight an undercurrent of dissatisfaction amongst law enforcement officials, directed primarily on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, and the political constructions which have supported his tenure. According to Agordzo, there’s a rising sentiment inside the GPS that the federal government and the Police Council, which oversee appointments and promotions, have ignored widespread complaints about Dampare’s management fashion.
Allegations Against Dampare’s Leadership
The accusations in opposition to IGP Dampare are scathing. Dr. Agordzo claims to have interacted extensively with law enforcement officials over latest months, gathering grievances that paint an image of a divided and disillusioned power. Among the criticisms leveled in opposition to Dampare are:
- Selective Promotions and Postings: Allegations of favoritism and discrimination in personnel selections have reportedly created resentment amongst officers.
- Arrogance and Vindictiveness: The IGP is accused of fostering a tradition of concern and retaliation, silencing dissent and sidelining officers he perceives as opponents.
- Tribalism and Lack of Transparency: Complaints of ethnic bias in decision-making processes have fueled division inside the service.
- One-Man Rule: Dampare is accused of bypassing established constructions similar to Transfer Boards and Promotion Boards, contravening C.I. 76, which governs police administration.
A key level of competition is the alleged breakdown in relationships between the IGP and different senior officers, together with the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP). Dr. Agordzo describes Dampare’s management fashion as a “terrorist administrative style,” which has demoralized the rank and file.
Political Implications
Dr. Agordzo’s publish means that the discontent inside the GPS extends past inside grievances and has political ramifications. Many officers reportedly imagine that voting in opposition to Dr. Bawumia and his celebration is their solely avenue to immediate a change in management. The Vice President, as a member of the present administration, is perceived as a determine who may retain Dampare as IGP if his celebration wins the election.
The assertion that the Police Council has turn out to be a “rubber stamp” for Dampare’s controversial selections additional fuels the notion that the federal government is complicit in the established order. This disillusionment is anticipated to manifest on the polls, the place the GPS personnel’s votes may act as a protest in opposition to the administration’s perceived insensitivity.
Broader Context
The rift inside the police service comes at a important juncture for Ghana’s democracy. Security businesses play pivotal roles in making certain free, honest, and peaceable elections, nevertheless, inside tensions and allegations of politicization inside the Ghana Police Service enhance issues about morale and neutrality through the electoral course of.
The allegations in opposition to IGP Dr. Dampare additionally carry into query the mechanisms of oversight inside the Police Council and the federal government. Critics argue that political interference in safety appointments undermines institutional independence and erodes public belief.
As particular voting takes place tomorrow, the Ghana Police Service seems to be at a crossroads. Dr. Agordzo’s revelations recommend a power grappling with inside strife and political disillusionment, with potential ripple results on Ghana’s political panorama. The extent to which police personnel’s grievances will translate into electoral outcomes stays to be seen, however the implications for governance and safety in Ghana are plain.
Below is the total publish made by ACP Agordzor on his Facebook Wall
AT LEAST 80% GPS PERSONNEL LIKELY TO VOTE AGAINST BAWUMIA DURING SPECIAL VOTING ON 2 DEC. 2024
I dont learn about different safety businesses, however I dare say that at the very least 80% of personnel of the GPS usually tend to vote in opposition to the powers which have continued to maintain the present management of the GPS in place regardless of very quite a few complaints.
Even although Dampare’s image just isn’t on the poll, the notion within the GPS is that the powers that be, together with the Police Council, have turn out to be insensitive to the plight of officers by supporting the “terrorist administrative style” of Dampare.
Many personnel in GPS that I’ve interacted with over the previous few months, are of the view that the one means by which they may eliminate Dampare is to vote in opposition to these they describe as “insensitive appointers” who’re more likely to maintain Dampare as IGP ought to they handle to win the election.
Police personnel I interacted with over the previous few months accuse the IGP of unprecedented selective and discriminatory promotions and postings, vindictiveness, pettiness, tribalism, lack of transparency and excessive vanity. Others level to the present enmity between Dampare and his DIGP as only one instance of the various officers that IGP Dampare doesn’t discuss to. They additionally accuse the Police Council of turning into a rubber stamp to the selective and discriminatory promotions of Dampare. They accuse Dampare of operating one man present by effecting transfers with out Transfer Boards, and effecting promotions with out Promotion Boards and Assessment Committees as mandated by C.I. 76.
Therefore, as GPS personnel vote on 2 Dec, 2024, it’s anticipated that at the very least 80% of all police personnel would vote in opposition to THE INSENSITIVE APPOINTING POWERS THAT ARE STILL KEEPING DAMPARE IN OFFICE, AND LIKELY TO KEEP HIM AS IGP SHOULD THEY WIN.
Source: ghananewsonline.com.gh
