Dr. Dampare and his entourage cutting open cocoa pods on the farm
The IGP/Dr. George Akuffo Dampare last week joined cocoa farmers in the Ashanti Region farming community of Kwaafokrom, a short distance from Mabang.
It is part of his engagement strategy with stakeholders during which he was joined by a team from the Police headquarters, and they joined retired 83-year-old Commissioner of Police and a former Director of the former Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) now National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) Ellis Owusu Fordwouh on his 65-acre cocoa farm.
Community residents had taken their turn on the retired security chief’s cocoa plantation as they do to each other at the time the IGP and his team arrived at the location.
At the time of their arrival, the farmers were opening up harvested cocoa pods and removing the seeds within them for subsequent drying and fermentation on banana leaves, an age-old practice.
It was a beautiful spectacle as the IGP and his team joined in the task as they listened to the security concerns of their hosts.
That being the first time of hosting security chiefs on their farm, the farmers were palpably excited.
Some members of the IGP’s entourage exchanged fond memories of years past with their retired top colleague whose vast experience in security management is household knowledge, especially in security circles.
When an IGP joins farmers on a cocoa farm as the country shows appreciation to farmers on Farmers’ Day, it is indeed a special way of telling them “we in the Ghana Police Service too appreciate your efforts. Be assured of our readiness to protect you and your property.”
The IGP since assuming the role of Ghana’s Police Chief has embarked on an engagement campaign during which he has met with various stakeholders spanning from the media to traditional rulers and counting.
By A.R. Gomda