Ambrose Dery, the Interior Minister has dismissed claims that there are plots to dismiss the Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare.
According to him, as far as he is concerned, George Dampare is doing a good job as the Inspector General of police hence the need for such speculations to be ignored.
His response comes after he was quizzed about the recent speculation that there is an attempt to reshuffle the IGP amidst leaked recordings exposing details of a plot by some top officials of the ruling New Patriotic Party and the Ghana Police Service to displace the current Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare from office ahead of the 2024 polls.
Speaking an interview with GhanaWeb, he said; “We should Ignore it with the contempt that it deserves, there is no plot to remove anybody. I don’t know about any plot to remove anybody as far as I am concerned, he is doing a good job.”
Secret recording expose:
GhanaWeb has intercepted a series of secret recordings exposing details of a plot by some top officials of the ruling New Patriotic Party and the Ghana Police Service to displace the current Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare from office ahead of the 2024 polls.
Apparently threatened by his leadership style and alleged affiliation with the opposition National Democratic Congress, the group who were recorded in a secret meeting concluded that the NPP’s “Breaking the 8” agenda will be impossible with Dampare at the helm of the police.
“Alhaji, my only problem… this current IGP if we do a mistake and take him to the elections, it will not help us. It will not help us at all and I will not mind if the position is not given to me but that man is changed; because he will not help us, he will not help us at all… he won’t help the party at all.
“I know there are others who are also good for this position, if I don’t get and this man is changed and those people that we think are our men get I (it is ok)t… Because we need to break this 8. That is important, we need to break the 8… Because I wouldn’t want a doctor to become the flagbearer and then we lose the elections… ” one of the senior officers told the senior NPP members who is believed to be a former regional chairman of the party and now a traditional ruler.
The senior police officer who seemed interested in the IGP position but would not mind losing as far as a pro-NPP IGP is installed, went on to admit that elections sometimes require machinations to win.
“This IGP is not correct, he won’t help us. Alhaji you have done politics, you know elections is not… sometimes elections mafia work is inside,” he stated to which the party guru concurred saying “not just sometimes, mafia work is inside. As for elections mafia work is involved.”
Citing the recent by-election in Assin North, the senior officer complained bitterly about Dr Dampare’s security arrangement noting how it went against the NPP.
He alleged that Dr Dampare is an NDC person who was given promotions during NDC governments and served as aide-de-camp to late President John Evans Atta Mills.
“Alhaji whatever we need to do to get somebody else to supervise these elections (2024) we need to do. Because as we speak, this IGP is not fine with the military, he is fighting with the army. You find out, if any army officer is your friend, you call him and ask him that how do you see this IGP. He has been arresting military cars; commanders’ cars,” he said.
He further revealed that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is a flagbearer hopeful of the NPP was not in favour of Dr Dampare becoming the IGP and that the two have a frosty relationship.
“If you find out yourself, he is not in good terms with Dr Bawumia… find out if you are close to Dr Bawumia because he knows that Dr Bawumia did not recommend him as IGP… Dr Bawumia knows that if we take him to elections we’ll have difficulties,” he stated.
The senior party member expressed concern about how the matter has not been brought to the attention of leading members of the party and the government but was informed by the senior officer that such attempts have proved futile.
He further revealed that Dr Dampare enjoys the support of some close relatives of the president including his executive secretary Nana Asante Bediatuo and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
