Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah: The Mysterious Police Woman Who Waves Both NPP And NDC Flags With Brighter Smiles

The first time COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah got promotion through special recommendation was the days of Mr. Mohammed Alhassan as the IGP, and John Dramani Mahama was the president, and the NDC was the government in place.

She was then Chief Superintendent of Police and got promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) ahead of her college mates and some seniors for establishing the Police Command and Staff College at Winneba. That very particular promotion triggered discussions fused with political paintings and colourisation and, a bit of enmity.

Emphasis was placed on the government of the day under whose tenure of office she got the promotion more than the actual task that she performed, which earned her the promotion. Her promotion to the rank of ACP at the time was much more about she got the promotion due to the fact that John Dramani Mahama was the president, and the NDC was the government in place and, much less about the fact that through her hard works, commitments and dedications to duty got us the Winneba Command and Staff College.

She was quickly labelled as one of the favourites of John Dramani Mahama and the NDC in the police and then in 2016, John Dramani Mahama and his NDC lost the elections and the NPP and Nana Akuffo Addo took the reigns of government. Initially COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah started as deputy director-general of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and then became the director-general of the CID when COP/Mr. Bright Oduro retired.

Rising from deputy director-general of the CID to director-general of CID could not have passed without linking it to the NPP and NDC politics and much more when she was promoted from Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) to Commissioner of Police (COP). Everything about COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah was because she is a favourite of the NPP and Nana Akuffo Addo in the police.

Her political pains and labellings got deeper when she was appointed by Nana Akuffo Addo to head Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in 2022. Again, the emphasis was not about her competencies and capabilities to steer the affairs of EOCO but much more about the NPP and Nana Akuffo Addo, who appointed her ti head EOCO. It was basically all about the fact that she was appointed to head EOCO because she sympathises with the NPP. She came under all manner of attacks from party soldiers from the other side of the political divide but that did not deter her from leaving a lasting legacy at EOCO.

Her political labelling in the flags of the NPP got worst to the extent that the day the NDC and John Dramani Mahama took over the reigns of government on January 7, 2025, some thugs in NDC colours invaded EOCO and vandalised a bust that was erected by the staffs of EOCO in her honour. Eventually she was reassigned to the National Police Headquarters where she was made the Director-general of Research and Planning.

Just as she was about to settle in her new role as the Director-general of Research and Planning of the Ghana Police Service, then comes another appointment from John Dramani Mahama and his NDC government to the Interior Ministry as technical advisor to the Interior Minister. Her appointment to Interior Ministry as technical advisor has come with reactions and misreactions, and of course with political labellings and paintings. Again she is being painted with NDC colours as usual.

Just about four months ago when Nana Akuffo Addo and the NPP were in government, she was seen as an NPP favourite in the police and then just last week, she has miraculously changed from being an NPP favourite in the police to a favourite of the NDC, and one who has been rewarded with a big appointment such as technical director to the Interior Minister at the Ministry of Interior. That makes COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah such a mysterious person. Isn't it?

May be it is time some serious academic research is conducted into why COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah is seen as favourite of government irrespective of the party in government but until someone, particularly foots soldiers in both NPP and NDC try to find why the personality of COP/Mr. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah cuts across the political divide, let me tell you the little I know.

At least in the last 8 years, I have had both personal and working relationship with COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, and in all these years, what I have noticed about her respect for all manner of persons who come across her line of duties, including politicians from both NPP and the NDC. For COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, everybody matter irrespective of social and political status of the person.

She has told me a lot of things in confidence but when it comes to politics, her interest has always been much about conducive environment for which she can do her work as a police officer and a law enforcement officer. She appreciates the fact that at strategic levels, policing is determined by government and, one who wants to create impact as a police officer must possess key skills to engage politicians across the political divide irrespective of their differences.

For her, it is always about having the support of the government of the day to do her work, and so at all times she tries to have a good relationship with all the political actors, irrespective of their political colours. She treats every politician as a potential ally who can provide some leverages for her to do her work.

Whereas she can remain resolute and defy political pressure when it comes to professionalism and work, she does so without picking fights and grudges with anyone. She always leaves her door open for engagements and re-engagements irrespective of her level of disagreement with a politician. Her level of tact coupled with handling matters diplomatically is a call shooter.

For the ordinary police officer, she is the proverbial African mother with enough breast milk to feed all her, and when it comes to both NPP and NDC, she is the mysterious police woman who can never be underestimated. She waves both NPP and NDC flags with brighter smiles but sadly it's the party foot soldiers who get aggrieved and peeved with her appointments but in real situation, the big shots in both NPP and NDC always put on bright smiles when they come face to face with her.

Let's see what happens at Interior Ministry under John Dramani Mahama with COP/Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah as the technical advisor to the Interior Minister.

Ahanta Apemenyimheneba Kwofie III