Naagyei 90.3 Fm Agyapa
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been pressed to explain how an Inspector General of Police (IGP) can aid a political party in winning elections by Richard Ahiagbah, the NPP’s director of communications.
The release of a video purportedly documenting a scheme to remove IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare from office had alarmed the NDC and their minority lawmakers, and Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin had established a committee to look into the tape.
Mr. Ahiagbah wrote, “The NDC must demonstrate to Ghanaians how using an IGP to rig elections works for them since they appear to believe it can be done.
Following the release of the audio tape, some members of the minority party, including James Agalga, the member of parliament for Builsa North, claimed that Ambrose Dery’s assurance that nothing untoward would occur during the general elections of 2024 despite the audio tape’s leak was insufficient.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Tuesday, July 11, the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament said “The reassurances from the Minister of Interior are not enough.
“First of all, the Minister doesn’t appear to be sure of who the persons are, those who were caught plotting to subvert the will of the Ghanaian people in 2024 to merely assure us that nothing untoward will happen, they have confidence in the IGP, do not have in contemplation any attempt to replace him with the people caught on tape is not reassuring at all.”
He added “Probe it to unearth those behind the audio and bring them to the book. The president, if you ask me, is the person who must put in the mechanism to ensure that those who are behind it are brought to book.”
The Minister for the Interior Ambrose Dery dismissed reports that stalwarts of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) are scheming to remove the Inspector General of Police.
“There is no plot to remove anybody,” he told journalists in Accra on Tuesday, July 11.
He added “I can assure you that I serve a president who is committed and has respect for human rights. Under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo we will make sure that 2024 is peaceful.
“One thing to be sure, 2024 will not be a violent election by anybody and no one will want to thwart the will of the people. If you vote us in, you vote us in, if you vote us out, you vote us out.”
Portions of an audio that allegedly captures the plot to remove Dr Dampare said that “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 they 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 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.”
