Why Francis Poku was fired -Another Take

LAST Saturday?s sudden dismissal of Mr Francis Poku as Minister of National Security has sent many people and the media fishing in the sea of speculation, as to the cause of the President?s action.

While some speculate that it could be an issue of corruption, others think the former Minister was "growing wings" and the President decided to clip them.

But checks at the Castle, the Blue Gate (Castle Annex) and at other security sources have revealed a power problem.

Deep throat sources at the Castle told the Times that it was a "power game" which Mr Poku could not survive.

For example, the former Security Minister is alleged to have recruited personnel around the President who reported directly to himself.

Again it was revealed that the conflict between the former Minister and the National Security Coordinator, Dr Amo Ghartey, had escalated in recent times to the extent that it was having a negative effect on security operations.

The conflict, the Times was told, stemmed from the fact that, Mr Poku did not allow Dr Amo Ghartey a free hand to operate as the security coordinator.

"The office of the National Coordinator and indeed most of the security agencies were starved of cash, rendering most operations difficult. "Indeed, the National Co-ordinator became more or less powerless and irrelevant in the system," a source at the Blue Gate revealed.

The other factor, Times learnt, had to do with his style of management.

"We were most of the time managing crisis instead of doing preventive security and this accounts for the problems we are facing in Dagbon, Bawku and Anlo," it said.

It was also learnt that contrary to security practices, the former Minister had allegedly established parallel security organs in the various regions who reported to him directly in Accra, without recourse to the recognized ones, "an issue which annoyed most of the security bosses."

On the political front, Mr Poku was said to have compromised his position as a National Security Minister by what was termed "political hedging", when he allegedly supported about four of the 17 presidential aspirants of the New Patriotic Party with cash and logistics. The source howeve3r did not elaborate further.

"To be honest with you, the man would have gone long time, but for the fact that the President has a soft spot for him," the source at the Castle concluded..

Mr Poku, a professional police officer was appointed national security co-ordinator in 2001 and was made a Minister in 2005.'