Police transfers, promotions on hold

Page 24: Daily Graphic, January 20, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
LAST week’s transfer of a number of police commanders announced by the Police Administration has been put on hold.
Other promotions announced earlier by the Police Administration on January 2, 2009 have also been suspended.
This follows a directive from the President’s representative at the Ministry of the Interior, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr P.K. Acheampong, at the weekend.
Sources close to the government’s transitional team explained that it was the position of President Atta Mills that the status quo remained until the transitional teams completed their work.
They said the government did not want anyone or group to misinterpret any action, especially administrative ones.
“At the appropriate time when the need arises the changes will be made,” they said.
With regard to the promotions, the sources said all those done through the due process would be upheld, no matter how late they were made, adding, however, that those that did not go through due process would be cancelled.
They said the security sub-committee was doing a lot of work and, therefore, urged the affected personnel not to panic.
Last week, the Police Administration announced a reshuffle at the level of its regional command structure as part of measures to inject efficiency into the Police Service.
Three regional commanders and five deputy commanders were affected by the changes which were announced by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
The Deputy Accra Regional Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Bright Oduro, was to move to Kumasi to take over from DCOP Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo, while the Nima Divisional Commander, ACP Angwubutoge Awuni, was to move to the Brong Ahafo Region as the Deputy Regional Commander.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Commander, ACP Charles Kpapu Torkor, was to report to the Police Headquarters, while ACP David Nenyi Ampah-Benin, the Deputy Eastern Regional Commander, was to go to the Northern Region as the second-in-command.
The Western Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police Mr Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, one-time chief advisor to the UN Secretary-General and who participated in the transformation of the Liberian Police, was also to move to the Police Headquarters.