Dropping Of IGP

Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson The choice of the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), a protracted exercise, was the culmination of manouvres, intrigues and the flexing of muscles by power-brokers within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The wife of a powerful force in the party (name withheld) is said to have influenced the choice of Paul Tawiah Quaye, whose spouse has been her beautician of long-standing, from the days of the PNDC junta.

Although a fine superior police officer, his name was not one of those making the rounds at the corridors of power especially since President John Evans Atta Mills allegedly assured Mrs. Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, the acting IGP, that she would certainly be confirmed as the substantive police boss.

President Mills' affirmative support to the tune of 40 percent appointment for women appears to have assured most Ghanaians that Madam Lizzie was on her way to becoming the first female Chief Constable of the Republic of Ghana since the Police Ordinance of 1894 was enacted.

Unknown to the then Acting IGP, some forces beyond the President were at play to undo her wish.

Indeed DAILY GUIDE has learnt about how another powerful centre in the Presidency lobbied for Mohammed Alhassan, a Commissioner of Police who served for a long time on UN duties in Liberia.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that his bid was shot down because the Interior Minister is a northerner as well as the chairman of the Police Council, Vice President John Mahama and that it would not sound proper to give the top police job to the fine police officer when the sector minister hails from the same part of the country.

This argument, coupled with the overbearing influence of the powerful woman who spoke for her hairdresser's hubby, finally dashed the hopes of Mrs. Elizabeth Mills-Robertson who recently bagged her Executive MBA in Business Administration from the University of Ghana, Legon.

She was apolitical as a professional police officer, but Mrs. Elizabeth Mills-Robertson was presented by her adversaries as a lady whose husband is a New Patriotic Party (NPP) sympathizer.

Some of her adversaries questioned her ability to manage the office of IGP, a role she has though played since Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong was asked to go home by President Mills shortly after Mr. Rawlings screamed at him to do something about security chiefs he inherited from former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

DAILY GUIDE has also learnt about how Mr. Paul Quaye's request for a two-week leave of absence was shortened to 3 days by his now retired boss.

On the day of the announcement, having apparently got wind of what was in store for him, a source at the Police headquarters said, “He appeared in office in full uniform, indeed ready to take over.”

That was the day the acting IGP was given the shocker that she should hand over to Mr. Quaye and await a posting as an envoy.

The Ghana Police Service is one public service organization where lobbying for the topmost position is mostly intense and laced with intrigues and undermining manouvres.

Sources have said that the just-axed acting IGP, because she had counted on the words of the President that the position is hers, could not believe her ears when the First Gentleman's word was countermanded.

The first Chief Constable in post-independence Ghana was the late B.A. Yakubu who hailed from Dagbon and until his death the Chief of Gushegu or Gushenaa.

By A.R. Gomda