Why can’t Akufo-Addo work with me? - Nunoo-Mensah

Former Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah has decried the practice of dismissing IGPs, CDSs and other security chiefs by new governments any time there is a change in administration, adding that the fact that he, for instance, served in the Rawlings, Mills and Mahama administrations does not mean current President Nana Akufo-Addo should not be able to work with him.

Speaking at the third event in the Accra Dialogue series at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration Law Faculty on Wednesday, Mr Nunoo-Mensah said: “President Rawlings was a good friend of mine, but I resigned from the government and left on principle.”

In his view, security chiefs must be allowed to continue to serve irrespective of which government appointed them.

“It’s wrong for us to come in and change IGPs and CDSs; they can overlap because we’re Ghanaians, so, who says that after serving in the previous NDC government, I can’t serve the NPP as well?

“I was Nana Addo’s closest friend in 1998, his campaign manager, so, why can’t I serve NPP? I can serve anybody. I am a Ghanaian, and a patriot and I love my country. We shouldn’t be toying with our leaders, whether it’s the IGP or someone else. It’s wrong for you to come in and fire them, it doesn’t speak well of the country. They should also stand on their feet and go after anyone who does wrong, whether it’s NPP or the NDC.”

According to him, “You must have something to believe in; be principled, and when those principles are challenged, stand on your feet.

“Here in Ghana, every President who comes fires the old one and brings in a new one. We’re Ghanaians, I’ve served in every government – in CPP, in the NPP and the NDC. I’m a patriot and a nationalist, why can’t I serve any other government?” he questioned.