FLASHBACK: What ACP Agordzo said about appointment, removal of IGPs, police chiefs by the president

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Dr Benjamin Agordzo, was acquitted January 24, 2024, by an Accra High Court of the charge of treason that was levelled against him by the state for his alleged involvement in a plot to unseat the government in 2019.

The trial, which spanned 5 years, was finally brought to an end after the court convicted six of the accused persons of conspiracy to commit high treason and committing high treason.

ACP Agordzo and two others: Colonel Gameli and Corporal Seidu Abubakar, were acquitted by the court.

ACP, until his interdiction, was a former Director of Operations of the Ghana Police Service.

In a GhanaWeb video from October 31, 2018, the senior police officer raised some concerns about the appointment of persons to the position of Inspector General of Police (IGP) by the president.

Dr Agordzor argued that the appointment and removal of IGPs and other police chiefs should not be done by the government in power, but rather by a body that will ensure that they are not influenced by political considerations.

Dr Agordzor argued further that the police service is not able to perform its duties effectively because of the political pressure and manipulation from the executive arm of government.

In a presentation, Dr Agordzo said: “The IGP shall be appointed by the president acting in consultation with the council of state. Who is the council of state? Who appointed them and where is their loyalty.

“The IGP shall be head of the police service but it shall be subject to the provision of the article and control and direction of the police council, who is the police council? It is headed by the vice president who is also a party member and a member of the government. What kind of advice do you expect from him? Subject to the provision of the constitution, the power to appoint persons to hold or to act in an office in the police service shall first see the president. If it is the president, what else do you expect?” he questioned.

He went ahead to give a breakdown of the composition of the police council and pointed out that it doesn't matter the political party in office, the entire police infrastructure is always crafted around the president.

Given the current situation, Dr Agordzo likened the service to a chess game and stated that the government in power controls the police service like the chess game.

“It doesn't matter whether it is the NPP or the NDC, this is what you have given us and this is what we will work with. The members of the council consists of a minister in charge of interior who is also a party member. Then you have the inspector general of police appointed by the president. The appointor can dismiss him at any point in time therefore his loyalty is partial. The Case is even worse when he is appointed in an acting capacity, this means he is being watched by the appointor.

“The Attorney-General, he is a party man and two members of the police service appointed by the president. So, the whole composition of the police service is the president and the party. Why will you give us this and expect that we are professional, we cannot. There is no way you can have a professional police service, because it is party politics. And that is why we have become a chess in the hands of the politicians. Whether it is NPP or NDC we are like a chess in their hands and they are playing political games with us. That is why no party in opposition can trust the police. It's because of what you do with us so once you move into opposition,” he stated.

Watch the video below:

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