Today in 2003: Major slapped, handcuffed for failing to stop for Mrs Kufuor

Military personnel with the rank of Major, was at the end of some ‘critical straightening’ after he allegedly breached security protocol.

Major Allo of the Ghana Armed Forces was subjected to some hefty slaps after he failed to stop his vehicle for the convoy of the then-first lady Theresa Kufuor.

Accra-based Ghanaian Palava reported that Major Allo, together with other road users, was stopped by the President’s police security “to make way for Mrs Kufuor” who was about to leave the house in her official convoy.

After the waiting period had lasted close to two hours, Major Allo got down from his vehicle, politely introduced himself to the Presidential security as a serving military officer, and requested to be allowed to pass since it did not appear that Mrs Kufuor would be leaving the house soon.

He was chastised, arrested and jailed for daring to go against state protocol.

Read the full story originally published on January 10, 2003, on Ghanaweb

Saturday 7 December 2002, will forever be a black-letter day in the life of Major Allo of the Ghana Armed Forces.

That was the day he was subjected to the exercise of real terror, constitutional lawlessness style, for daring to cross the path of Her Royal Highness Mrs Theresa Kufuor, wife of He-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed President John Kufuor.

It all started when the innocent Major, dressed in mufti and driving his private car, arrived at the junction of the private residence of President John Kufuor around the Tetteh Quarshie Circle in Accra, popularly and euphemistically renamed by ingenious and long-suffering Ghanaian “tro-tro” users as “HIPC Junction.”

Major Allo, together with other road users, were stopped the President’s police security “to make way for Mrs Kufuor” who was about to leave the house in her official convoy.

After the waiting period had lasted close to two hours, Major Allo got down from his vehicle, politely introduced himself to the Presidential security as a serving military officer, and requested to be allowed to pass since it did not appear that Mrs Kufuor would be leaving the house soon

What happened was the Army Major’s worst nightmare comes true. First, came two hefty slaps, followed by “What do you mean? Who do you think you are? Do you know you are breaching national security?”

Before the bewildered Major could say “Jack”, he found himself on the ground his hands in handcuffs. Next thing he knew, he was at “counter-back” at Police CID Headquarters where he was kept for well over six hours.

A clandestine call to the Army Headquarters, however, brought the intervention of the Military Police, who finally managed to “negotiate” the release of their officer. Major Allo was not charged with any offence, and “Ghana Palaver is pursuing investigations into what has happened to the case, which could be described as “The Humiliation of a Ghana Army Officer.”