You don’t speak for Ghana Armed Forces or gov’t – Dampare told

The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has taken the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Akufo Dampare to the cleaners reminding him that he does not speak for the Ghana Armed Forces of Government. 

Mr. Nketia comment was contained in a press statement he issued in response to the IGP’s letter to the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson asking her to stay in her limits and not meddle into the internal affairs of Ghana.

The British High Commissioner, following the arrest of Mr. OLIVER BARKER-VORMAWOR, the Convener of FixTheCountry over road traffic offense The British High Commissioner on May 17, tweeted, “Oliver Barker Vormawor, convener of #FixTheCountry Movement, arrested again, I understand for a motoring offence on his way to court. I’ll be interested to see where this goes.”

This tweet appears not to go down well with the Inspector General of Police who expressed his disgust over the tweet in a four page letter with some 15 questions directly to the deplomat.

To the NDC, the IGP’s action is ill-advised and misguided adding it “has the tendency of jeopardizing the enviable cordial bilateral relations between Ghana and Britain.”

“The IGP’s rather ill-advised attack on the British High Commissioner for being meddlesome in Ghana’s internal affairs appears rather far-fetched, particularly considering the significant fact that the activist of interest is a student in the UK, and that matters of human rights are universal and cardinal.”- NDC’s statement said.

“The NDC wishes to caution the IGP against a posture of high handedness and inspired arrogance which creates the impression that the Ghana Police Service under his leadership is above reproach. He must also be reminded that he does not speak for the Ghana Armed Forces or the Government of Ghana.” – the statement added

Read the full statement from the NDC:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

31st May, 2022.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has become aware of a letter from Ghana’s Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare addressed to the British High Commissioner, H.E. Harriet Thompson which has now been widely published.

The NDC takes the considered view that Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare should have raised his concerns about the British High Commissioner’s tweet on Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s latest arrest with Ghana’s Foreign Minister through the Minister of the Interior for it to be addressed via the usual diplomatic channels.

The IGP’s regrettable and misguided letter has the tendency of jeopardizing the enviable cordial bilateral relations between Ghana and Britain.

Ghana and the UK have shared strong friendly bilateral relations and official communications must avoid tones and language which are considerably discourteous, offensive and needlessly provocative.

The IGP’s rather ill-advised attack on the British High Commissioner for being meddlesome in Ghana’s internal affairs appears rather far-fetched, particularly considering the significant fact that the activist of interest is a student in the UK, and that matters of human rights are universal and cardinal.

In any case, international relations of the modern era creates great accommodation for peer review—this has been on exhibition in recent times when the Ghanaian President criticized western nations including the UK in his 2021 UN address for apparently using COVID-19 vaccination policies as a discriminatory immigration tool against Africans.

The Ghanaian Government was amongst the first nations of the world to condemn President Vladimir Putin for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In all these instances, no one has accused Ghana of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961.

The NDC has on no occasion described these very recent examples cited above as tantamount to President Akufo-Addo meddling in the internal affairs of other nations.

It is only autocratic regimes who have no regard for democratic principles that are averse to criticism and international scrutiny.

The NDC calls on Ghana’s Foreign Ministry to immediately intervene in offering diplomatic guidance to the IGP and also taking concrete steps to ease tensions.

The NDC wishes to caution the IGP against a posture of high handedness and inspired arrogance which creates the impression that the Ghana Police Service under his leadership is above reproach. He must also be reminded that he does not speak for the Ghana Armed Forces or the Government of Ghana.

We request of of IGP Akuffo Dampare to rather focus his attention on the worsening security environment which has led to the gruesome loss of life of a lawyer, gold dealers in Asamang Tamfoe, and many other victims of unresolved police brutalities from the 2020 election killings to Ejura, Tamale, Akatsi, Asawase and Nkoranza.

Signed.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia- General Secretary