The Director of Operations at the Ghana Police Service, COP George Alex Mensah, has testified before a parliamentary committee investigating a leaked tape, where he asserted that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, is mishandling the management of the Police Service.
COP Mensah’s declaration came during his appearance before the committee that is looking into the tape’s contents, which allegedly captures conversations between senior police officers and the former Northern regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bugri Naabu. The discussions in the tape purportedly revolve around plans to remove the current IGP.
COP Mensah highlighted that the leadership under IGP Dampare has resulted in a decline in the morale of numerous police officers.
He stated, “Dampare’s stewardship of the Police Service has been lacking, and a significant number of police officers are discontented. If you were to engage the officers on the ground, they would corroborate this sentiment.”
On Thursday, August 31, COP Mensah presented his testimony before the committee. In July, an alleged covert audio recording surfaced, outlining a purported scheme involving individuals believed to hold senior positions within the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a Senior Police Officer. Their alleged objective was to facilitate the removal of IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare from his role prior to the 2024 elections.
At the time of the recording, the unidentified participants expressed frustration over IGP Dampare’s decisions, which they believed were not aligned with the interests of the ruling party. They expressed concerns about his leadership style and accused him of having affiliations with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
One individual heard in the audio, reportedly a police officer, conveyed, “I’m aware that there are other capable candidates for this position. If I don’t obtain what I’m seeking, and this change occurs with individuals we perceive as our supporters, I would find that satisfactory… because we need to disrupt the ‘8.’ That’s crucial, we must disrupt the ‘8’… I wouldn’t want Dr. [Dampare] to assume the role of flagbearer only for us to lose the elections.”
The participants in the recording believed that realizing the NPP’s “Breaking the 8” agenda would be unattainable if IGP Dampare continued leading the police force.
They asserted, “This current IGP isn’t suitable; he won’t advance our cause. Alhaji, given your political experience, you understand that elections involve more than just the process itself… there’s an element of strategy at play… and the individual currently in that position won’t contribute to our party’s success.”
Another participant, who identified himself as a former NPP regional Chairman, echoed this sentiment by responding, “[It’s not only] sometimes, strategy plays a role. Elections entail strategic maneuvering.”
