• The appointment of a new IGP has generated a lot of good reactions
• Two opposition MPs have added their voice praising the president’s choice
• COP Dampare is slated to take over as police chief effective August 1, according to the presidency
The choice of Commissioner of Police George Akuffo Dampare as Acting Inspector General of Police has earned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo praise from two opposition Members of Parliament.
In a July 21 statement, the presidency announced the imminent retirement of IGP James Oppong-Boanuh and the appointment of Dampare as new police chief effective August 1.
Reactions have come in thick and fast with two National Democratic Congress, NDC, lawmakers speaking highly of the president’s move. The two are: Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu and Peter Lanchene Toobu, MP for Wa West.
The latter, who is a retired superintendent of police, commended the President stressing that the appointment of COP Dampare merited collective applause.
“Where we are now, we collectively have to commend the President for this appointment. Security issues in this country are not the best so for the President to make this change at the top, he needs to be commended. I salute him for that,” Toobu said while making submissions on Accra-based Neat FM.
Toobu added that the appointment “came at the right time,” but also he expressed a personal worry relative to the specific designation of Dampare as an Acting IGP.
“I pray he will be quickly confirmed as IGP because the acting position I must confess is quite a headache, it is not the best,” he noted.
On his part, Ablakwa, an MP currently chasing travel expenditure for the president’s ‘extravagant’ three-nation trip in May when he used a top of the range private jet, agreed with the decision to name a new police boss given the recent incidents of insecurity.
“I want to congratulate the new acting IGP for picking up the mantle, but he must lace his boots to the daunting task ahead. This is the time you have to ensure the safety and welfare of your men and women in service and help ensure basic amenities to aid them in combating crime in the country.
“However, having known the senior police officer and his capabilities I believe he is more than qualified to do the work. I believe this time around the President got it right in appointing COP Dampare to act as the new acting IGP,” he added.
A number of security sector players have hailed the appointment citing the main reason that as a thoroughbred police officer, Dampare is the kind of person needed to rejig and remotivate personnel of the Ghana Police Service.
Dampare who till the latest elevation was Director-General in charge of Administration of the Ghana Police Service takes over from Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh who has been IGP since August 14, 2019.
