Executive Director of the Atta Mills Memorial Institute, Mr Koku Anyidoho
Executive Director of the Atta Mills Memorial Institute, Mr Koku Anyidoho has asked the newly-appointed Inspector General of Police COP George Akuffo Dampare to take tough decisions in building the Ghana Police Service and also in ensuring security of the nation.
The former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) believed that Mr Dampare has the competence to deliver on his mandate.
“I have spoken to men and women in uniform who don’t have a problem, they believe he will come with whatever God has given him.
“This whole governance process especially with the Police is a lot of fire fighting,” he said.
“The problem begins before you get to know. How you confront and manage it is where the steely nature of your being comes to the fore. So, it will come with its own challenges but if you look at the fact that he has held very high command positions over the period, I am sure he has seen it all. What has he got to lose?
“Take the tough decisions, take the bull by the horn and with the kind of system we are having now if he is doing the right thing for which politicians get angry with him the nation will know. So for me, he should just do the right thing,” Mr Anyidoho said in interview with TV3’s Mercydalyne Lokko on Thursday, July 22.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed COP George Akuffo Dampare as the Acting IGP. He replaces the outgoing IGP, James Oppong Boanuh.
His appointment takes effect August 1.
The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has also asked him to institute measures across the country to collect public safety and crime data and share the same with the public regularly.
According to BPS, his work is cut out for him in the scheme of fallen standards in operations and professionalism, poor officer welfare, and inadequate police accountability to the citizenry.
“Thus, applying himself to key performance indicators (KPIs) will be crucial in justifying the huge applause and almost flawless acceptance of his appointment.
“The BPS therefore, expects the Ghana Police Service under Dr. Dampare to: Institute measures across the country to collect public safety and crime data and share the same with the public regularly.
It added “Work to determine the crime rate and crime clearance rates (especially for homicide cases) within the jurisdiction to enable a more objective assessment of the police service,” a statement by the BPS said.
“Active police involvement in ensuring public safety and engaging in community service in line with the tenets of democratic policing.
“While we appreciate the many years of George Akufo Dampare, Ph.D. professional experience at various levels and departments of the service, we call on the public to be measured in their expectations of him.
“We hold the truth that running an efficient and responsive police service in Ghana at a time like this requires more than an individual’s standing.
“We, therefore, call on the Executive, the Police Council, Parliament, and the rest of society to render their full support by allowing and providing him the needed independence and resources required to build a world-class police service that is committed to the delivery of planned, democratic, protective and peaceful services.”