The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, has assured Parliament that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, will not be sacked.
According to him, he, as the Minister for the Interior and the government, is impressed with the performance of the IGP and thus he would not be removed.
“The government is committed to a free and fair election in 2024. The government has no plan to sack the IGP and we are sure that nothing will be allowed to disturb the peace from now until 2024,” he assured.
The Minister for the Interior said this on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, when commenting on a statement by the minority that sought to invite the House to trigger a probe into the alleged plot to oust the IGP.
He told the House that the government was ready to investigate any activity possible to breach the peace of the nation, adding that the new leaked tape is not an exception.
STATEMENT
The Deputy Minority Leader, Armah Kofi Buah, rising on order 72 of the Standing Orders of the House, made an urgent statement on the alleged audio recording, discussing how the current IGP should be removed.
He referred the House to the said audio recording and invited the Speaker to allow Parliament to go into the merits of the alleged audio recording.
His reason was that the content of the alleged audio recordingshould be a matter of “concern” to the Legislators, given that protecting the fourth republic needs to be of paramount interest.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa North, James Agalga, who commented on the statement, feared that the real issue contained in the alleged audio recording had been brushed aside. He cited the electoral violence in Techiman South to cement his case for a probe.
He pointed out that there is a “conspiracy to undermine the sovereign will” of Ghanaians in 2024, explaining that “attempts are being made” to dislodge the current IGP for one that would compromise itself.
The former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, MP for Tamale South, prayed to the Speaker to order a forensic probe into the alleged audio recording for purposes of protecting “our democracy.”
In his view, the probe would help protect the “professional integrity” of the IGP and also assure citizens that the elections would be free and fair.
Eric Opoku, MP for Asunafo South, expressed “surprise” that “our colleagues” on the other side were not concerned about the consolidation of democracy. “I’m surprised that we are arguing over this.”
The Minority was seeking a thorough forensic audit of the alleged tape to establish the veracity or otherwise of the leaked audio.
MAJORITY
The MP for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Boamah, informed the House that “no IGP, no serving military officer, can determine an election in this country.”
He explained that former President Rawlings had an IGP, but lost to Kufuor, who also appointed an IGP, but the ruling party was changed in 2008, as was John Mahama, who lost in 2016.
He suggested that there was a procedure for inviting the House to investigate a matter and advised his colleagues on the other side not to say the IGP could change the election.
The MP for Okere, Dan Botwe cautioned the House not to create the “impression” that the conduct of an IGP could determine the outcome of an election. “We can still talk about the general security of the country.”
He cited instances where police intimidated his political party in 1997 in Afigya Kwabre and 1999 in Ablekuma Central, but the NPP won those seats, and in 2000, despite police arresting NPP agents, the party still won that election.
The Majority was particularly concerned with the creation of the impression that an IGP could determine the outcome of an election. He did not disagree with the Minority on the need for a probe.
DIRECTIVE
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, understood the debate and the mood of the House, being that the members were calling for an investigation into the alleged tape.
However, he directed the maker of the statement to submit it in writing to guide him in giving proper direction on the nature of the investigation.
“So, I will urge the maker of the urgent statement to submit in writing the terms of the proposed statements, which he just gave us notice of.
“This will guide me to give direction as to how the investigation or inquiry will be conducted by the appropriate committee of the House,” he directed.
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