I was one of those who vehemently opposed the establishment of a parliamentary committee to investigate the so-called leaked IGP tape. I felt the investigation was going to be a waste of everyone’s time and the country’s resources.
Events at the parliamentary hearing have, however, proven me wrong. Indeed, the narrative by C.O.P Alex Mensah about happenings within the police service are as revealing as they are worrying. What a brave police officer he is.
C.O.P Alex Mensah’s no holds barred testimonies have clearly affirmed the position some of us held. In fact, some of the things he spoke about must be looked at without partisan lenses because they spell doom for this country, if immediate remedies are not taken.
Abusuapanin, who in this country doesn’t know that our police officers owe allegiance to either of the two leading political parties in the country? Is it not an open secret that our police officers often dance to the tune of their political master’s before getting favours? From the days of Kudalor and Rose Bio Atinga, we have known that to be the case, haven’t we?
I was very elated when C.O.P Alex Mensah looked Superintendent Peter Lanchene Toobu (rtd) in the eyes and told him he was a perfect example of a party police officer. The Zu-za Wa West Member of Parliament had resigned as a police officer and in two weeks became a Zu-za parliamentary contestant in the Wa West Constituency.
C.O.P Alex Mensah explained that for a person to qualify to contest in the Zu-za primaries, he or she must be a card bearing member for five years. For Peter Toobu to contest for a parliamentary position only two weeks after resigning from the service presupposes that he had been a card-bearing member of Zu-za for years while still a police officer.
C.O.P Alex Mensah also did not mince words when he told the parliamentary investigative body that there is indiscipline in the police service under the leadership of IGP Akuffo-Dampare. He averred that some junior police officers are given preferential treatment because they are under the wings of the IGP himself.
The assertion is corroborated by Adib Saani, a competent Foreign Policy and Security Analyst on JoyNews on September 1, 2023.
Listen to Saani, “I do get numerous calls from people within the police service who tell me there are a crop of officers in the service known as ‘Dampare Boys’ and I actually experienced this at the Manet police station where very junior officers of this group were issuing orders to their superiors.”
It’s obvious there’s some bitterness in the heart of C.O.P Mensah. Whatever his reason, I cannot tell. What I can say for sure is that the internal politicking in the police service has become messier as a result of the release of the secret recording. To lampoon Kennedy Agyapong, it is clear that C.O.P Mensah is giving the IGP a ‘showdown’.
Politics is at play, but certainly not the partisan kind. What we are seeing is the kind of politics that leads to internal jostling for power by key actors within the police service, which has nothing to do with the Nana Dee government.
If for nothing at all, the parliamentary public hearing has exonerated the Nana Dee government. Revelations at the hearing have made nonsense of accusations of machinations to give Dampare a kick on the butt.
As for C.O.P Alex Mensah, I cannot help but admire his bravery and determination to publicly stand by what he had said in secret. That is a mark of a brave man, and I salute him for that.
Sitting continues on Monday and trust your ‘konkonsaic’ nephew to bring you his reflections on the proceedings.
See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!