I'm ready to serve the people of Damongo - David Tiki Dange confirms

Former UN Security advisor, David Tiki Dange has confirmed earlier stories that he is contesting in this year's parliamentary elections in the Damongo Constituency, West Gonja Municipal of the Savanna Region.

The acclaimed Criminologist told Doreen Ampofo on Radio Ghana's Prime News programme, Ghana Today, that he would be going as an Independent Candidate.

"It's a calling. After you develop yourself, you must heed to your call to help your people. My people need me now, and, as a royal of Damongo, I cannot turn my back on them when they need me most," Tiki Dange said when Ms Ampofo asked why he is exiting his profession with such a rich profile to go into politics.

According to the International Security Consultant, the good people of Damongo Constituency are fed up with politicians who only represent themselves and their parties in the name of Damongo in Parliament.

"My people are yearning for a competent man of unquestionable integrity who can represent their collective interest as well as unite the highly polarised constituents to animate their aspirations to reality," he emphasized.

"Damongo has suffered water problems for decades. Both the NDC and NPP members of parliament that have represented them since 1993 have not been able to help solve just that," Tiki Dange observed adding, "that is a basic problem. So, it is no wonder that they are unable to help solve challenges facing farmers, women, children and the youth."

He said, "our vast tourism and agricultural potentials are wasting away while our youth suffer severe unemployment and its associated socio-economic challenges."

When asked when he would launch his campaign, he said he will launch it in March, but, he did not give the specific date.

Below is David Tiki Dange's profile.

DAVID TIKI DANGE
(Criminologist & Security Consultant)

Born in December 1972, David Tiki Dange, a Royal Native of Damongo in the Savanna Region is one of Ghana’s finest, most sophisticated and vastly experienced internationally esteemed Criminologist and Security Consultant.

Tiki’s integrity, intelligence, competence and diligence made him the most preferred while officer working with very high-profile personalities such as Her Excellency Susan Rice of the United States, His Excellencies Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, General Abdul Selami Abubakari of Nigeria, Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, Ghana’s Jerry John Rawlings, President Salva Kiir and his Vice Riek Machar of South Sudan among others.

The 2020 Independent Parliamentary Aspirant of the Damongo Constituency commenced his education at Presbyterian Primary School, Damongo, and obtained with Distinction his Ordinary and Advanced Level Certificates respectively at Damongo Secondary School and Navrongo Secondary School where he discovered and demonstrated his innate leadership potentiality as Entertainment Prefect.

He did his National Service at the Damongo Secondary School where he taught English Literature and Elective English.

Although qualified for the university, Tiki, instead, entered the Winneba Police Academy as a recruit/cadet. There, he served as the senior man of the squad of over 100 men and eventually emerged the overall best recruit/cadet. 

From the Academy, he was posted to the office of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to serve as Head of Intelligence and Security from 1996-1997 before going to the National Police Headquarters, Panthers Unit as Head of Intelligence and Surveillance in 1998.

In 2000, he passed the United Nations S.A.T examination and was deployed to Kosovo immediately after NATO's bombardment. In Kosovo, though the youngest in the contingent, he was appointed "Team A" leader in the elite city of Gjakova.

Hinged on Tiki’s transformational leadership, he was recommended to the United Nations Headquarters in New York and after a competitive interview, he emerged the top candidate and was appointed the United Nations International Police Commander for Kosovo-Montenegro border. He handled immigration and customs duties as well until 2003 when he returned to Ghana.

Between 2003 and 2006, he did Advocacy at the Ghana School of Law and was adjudged the Best at the Moot Court. In 2008, he had another course in Advocacy at the Law Faculty of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in affiliation with Fordham Law School, New York after which, he enrolled in 2009 at Alliance Francaise for a Certificate Course in French language before accepting an appointment from the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and subsequently United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). 

In Sudan, Tiki served as the Community Policing Coordinator. In South Sudan, he was the Acting State Advisor, Jonglei State; and had the honour and privilege of hosting the Susan Rice led United Nations Security Council for the inauguration of the Livestock Patrol Unit in Malou-Bor, Jonglei State, South Sudan. 

After another competitive interview in New York in 2011, he emerged the best candidate and was appointed the United Nations State Advisor to Eastern Equatorial State, Torit, South Sudan which, shares borders with Uganda and Kenya.

In 2012, he graduated from Fordham Law School and pursued a Certificate in Deutsche (German) at Goethe Institute, Accra from 2013 – 2014 before obtaining a certificate in Criminology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice from 2014 to 2016.

He retired voluntarily as State Advocate and Prosecutor in 2019.