Former chairman of parliament’s legal and constitutional committee, Inusah Fuseini, has described the Commissioner of Police (COP) of the Ghana Police Service, George Alex Mensah, as consumed by inordinate partisan ego during his testimony before the ad-hoc committee set up to probe the issues surrounding the leaked tape seeking the removal of the IGP.

According to him, for a person of COP Mensah’s caliber to think that the rules overriding consideration for the appointment of an IGP, should be whether or not he’s a party member, or can assist a party to continue to stay in office, is subversive. He explained that it becomes subversive especially because democracy, constitution and sovereignty to determine who gets what resides with the people, particularly in the case of elections.

Owing to this, Mr Fuseini expressed that election results must be a manifestation of the wish of the people, and not dependent on the removal or appointment of an IGP to alter in some way the results. As such, he stated that for anybody to think if he is IGP, he can subvert the will of the people during an election, is criminal.

“For instance, COP Alex Mensah, I felt and thought that his testimony was consumed by an inordinate partisan ego. In the sense that the police service is a bureaucracy, it’s an institution of state – that being so, they have interests and values. Recruitments into the police service is impersonal, it depends on merits and educational qualification. So, a person normally will ascend to the highs of the police service based on his output and performance…”
Inusah Fuseini

Furthermore, Mr Fuseini underscored that the committee’s proceedings have been quite revealing, and to some extent, troubling, as it raises matters of concern in the unity of the police service. He noted that whether or not there was some criminal conspiracy by some element within the police service to torpedo the current IGP, and whether such acts can be tolerated, is a matter which must be ultimately determined by the committee.

“The revealing nature of what is happening is that if the Speaker had not decided to set up a committee to look into the matter, we would have treated it as one of the hearsays, and in the public domain, arguments would have been made to suggest that it was fake. But today, we know the tape took place, and it took place in the office of Bugri Naabu, the former norther regional chairman of the NPP, and that some persons were part of the meeting. Those persons have come and admitted that they were part of the meeting. Why they met, who recorded, what their intentions were, whether their acts are criminal or not are matters that the committee will determine.”
Inusah Fuseini

Politicization of the Ghana Police Service

Commenting on the proceedings of the committee, Mr Fuseini highlighted that the revelations on the plot to oust IGP Dampare is more troubling than surprising. He revealed that the police service which is a bureaucracy is now divided between the NPP and the NDC, which “should pose a danger to all of us”.

“The police are for law enforcement and for the maintenance of law and order. They are also to protect persons and properties; they have values and serve with integrity. Now, if these values and interests are compromised, then we are not sure that an establishment like the police service, which is a state establishment, can protect the citizens of the state…”
Inusah Fuseini

Meanwhile, Mr Fuseini has indicated that the public hearing of the committee will make Ghanaians privy to the fact that there is something fundamentally wrong within the police service. He concerted that it will invariably draw the attention of authorities on the need to take matters of the police service more seriously.

“We need to work together to create the autonomy that state institutions should have to discharge their functions. People who get into state institutions must know that their loyalty is to the state and not to government. So, I believe that the committee after the end of its job will make recommendations.”
Inusah Fuseini

On the matter of inviting IGP Dampare to the committee for questioning, Mr Fuesini stated that it wouldn’t be necessary as there’s a conscious and deliberate effort to shift the terms of reference on the matter to the trial of the IGP. When that is done, he explained that the committee might lose focus, and as such, any undertaking must be defined within the remit and parameters the committee is working with.

“Is the IGP part of the problem? What was the terms of reference of the committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the production of the tape? We might end up turning the man himself into a villain, because a lot of things have been said about him which obviously, ought not to have been said about him.”
Inusah Fuseini