Kudalor Shakes Up Police Hierarchy

Wide ranging changes have been announced in the Ghana Police Service, corroborating an earlier report in that direction by DAILY GUIDE early last week.

The changes take effect from December 5, 2015.
The first action by Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Kudalor since assuming office recently, the changes will see the Director General Finance, COP Dr. George Dampare, vacating his Schedule Officer appointment at the National Headquarters and becoming the Greater Accra Regional Commander.

Without doubt, it is one movement which would have tongues wagging as to the wisdom or otherwise of it. With the reason only known to the Chief Constable, all can only conjecture in office and street-side gossips now and long after COP Dampare has moved to his new office at Accra Central.

He replaces DCOP Christian Yohunu who now takes over the office held by John Kudalor as Director of Operations at the Police Headquarters.

COP Dampare and his former boss, Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, are credited with novel developments in the Police Service, the most tangible of which is the creation of the National Patrol Department's Visibility Unit.

DCOP Awuni Angwubutoge, the man whose media background and outspokenness had made him popular among journalists, now leaves the department created by the former IGP – Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) – at the headquarters for the Eastern Region.

Inside sources have said that this movement would doubtlessly please Awuni, who they have observed was being underutilized at his largely deskbound assignment at the Police Headquarters.

He served for many years at the Public Affairs Directorate before moving out to mainstream policing – among them heading the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) at Accra Central.

 He was also the Northern Regional Commander until becoming the Director General of the newly created MTTD.

It would be recalled that Awuni made the headlines when he descended upon the then Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, over an offence when he was Commander of the MTTU.

COP Rose Bio Atinga, Director-General, Administration, is now the Director General, Research and Planning, taking over one of the segments making up General Research and handled by COP David Asante Apeatu.

COP Asante Apeatu, who was Director General Research, is now Director General ICT –  maintenance of the status quo minus Research now being handled by COP Rose Bio Atinga.

Administration at the National Headquarters is now going to be in the hands of COP Ransford Ninson as Director General who vacates his Central Region base. DCOP Yaagy Akuribah is the new Central Regional Commander, moving from the Eastern Region.

DCOP Bright Oduro is now Director General Welfare; DCOP/Osaberima Asare Pinkro II, Director General Special Duties and DCOP Beatrice Zakpa Vib-Sanziri moves from Tema to the Headquarters as Director General Human Resource.

COP Seidu Mohamadu Zakaria, who was Director General at the Police Hospital, is now Director General, Medics, with a desk at the Police Headquarters and obviously becoming a member of the Police Headquarters Management Board.

Superintendent Cephas Arthur has received an unexpected elevation as he is made the Director of Public Affairs with his former boss, DCOP Nenyi Ampah Benin, now heading the Police Investigations and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS).

PIPS was headed by COP Joana Osei Poku who is currently on terminal leave – her last major performance when she spoke during the sod-cutting ceremony for the commencement of work on the PIPS headquarters at the Nima Police Station with the then IGP Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan presiding.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) – a very important segment of policing – has its key managers intact: COP Prosper Agbloh, Director General and his deputy or Second-In-Command, ACP Vincent Redeemer Dedjoe, remain at post.

The Regional Commanders for Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Northern, Volta, Western, Upper East and Upper West remain unchanged.

While the movements are largely attributed to the Acting IGP on paper, the reality is that some of them are beyond him – emanating from higher political offices.

By A.R. Gomda