For the second time in the last one year alone, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye, has tendered in his resignation letter to the ruling National Democratic Congress administration, Castle insiders and Police Public Affairs sources say.
The decision of the IGP to resign, our sources insist, is based on the intentions of the Police Service to compromise its independence and neutrality in its role as watchman and peace keeper before, during and after the December 2012 Presidential and parliamentary elections.
The IGP, our sources further state, says he will not be the IGP to preside over chaos and lawlessness as a peace officer, Ghanaian and Christian, for that matter. In taking that decision, our Castle sources add that other well-meaning senior rank officers, including some of those likely to take over from him, will hardly find peace occupying the position because the stakes are too high.
The IGP, DAYBREAK is aware, is already not in the books of the current President, who had had brushes with him as Chairman of the Police Council. It took a sense of tact and diplomacy on the part of former President JEA Mills, who sensed the intrigues of arbitrariness on the part of certain personalities in the NDC, and decided to allow him remain in office.
The John Mahama camp is comfortable with, and wants the current Deputy IGP, Mr. Alhassan. Anytime the John Mahama pressures rear its ugly head, Paul Quaye flies out to cool off outside the country. As a matter of fact, the situation allows for acquiescing Alhassan to tinker with the Police Service to push the agenda of John Mahama and his cahoots in the NDC. Incidentally, both Paul Quaye and Alhassan will be due for retirement in 2013. Alhassan, however, is satiated even if he can hold on as IGP up to December to enable him fulfill his and patrons’ agenda.
The dangerous element in the whole saga of musical chairs is the current political position granted Alhassan intended at facilitating and consummating the John Mahama-NDC agenda of using the force of State authority in achieving political gains. Though it was JEA Mills who inaugurated the National Elections Security Task Force consisting of representatives of the Security Services and appointed IGP Paul Quaye as Chairman, a subsidiary Task Force has been put in place by the Mahama camp chaired by Alhassan.
This subsidiary body of hand-picked security operatives includes Rose Bio Atinga, Patrick Timbilla, Prosper Ablorh and John Kudalor. They meet weekly and take very important decisions outside the main elections Task Force under the IGP. The Task Force under the IGP, however, includes the heads of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Police Service, the Prisons and Fire Services, Immigration Services and the Ghana Revenue Authority. The rest are the BNI and Office of National Security.
Another disturbing phenomenon is the appointment of one Avorga as the Desk Officer for elections at the Ministry of Interior, which is headed by a retired Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aboah.
Avorga has been tasked to use his influence and connections in the EC and NDC to tinker with the ballots and make victory double sure for the NDC.