General News of Monday, 24 May 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

‘Don’t blatantly disregard authority’ – DCOP Opare Addo told

DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo (seated) DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo (seated)

• George Ayisi feels DCOP Opare Addo was disrespectful to his superiors

• He said DCOP Opare Addo feels adamant even after he has been asked to vacate his position as the Regional Liaison officer

• He indicated that the alleged Delta Force members are now Natioanl Security officers


George Ayisi says DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo should obey his superiors and relinquish his position as the Ashanti Regional National Security Liaison Officer for a new person to be in charge and not to be adamant.

Speaking on Alhaji and Alhaji on Saturday, May 22, monitored by GhanaWeb, the member of the governing NPP communication team indicated that, the embattled Ashanti Regional National Security Liaison Officer should find some structures with the National Security Secretariate to channel his grievances for it to be investigated.

“Look, let’s obey the instruction. If he [DCOP Opare Addo] had reasons that his removal is unlawful obey, but get another channel, go and report to some top people within National Security Secretariate to investigate.

“But don’t blatantly disregard authority, it’s not good for all of us…DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo did not respect the structure [within the National Security] if he had any problem, he has other avenues to use,” George Ayisi stated.

He observed that, when the alleged Delta Force members who are now with the National Security were detailed to bring DCOP Opare Addo to Accra, "he [DCOP Opare Addo] resisted arrest. When you resist arrest and you are not careful the officer you meet, some slaps; you'll take it. It's not the best but these are things that happen with the forces".

George Ayisi who is also the NADMO communications officer claims, the embattled Ashanti Regional National Security Liaison Officer decided not to oblige to the instruction of the National Security Coordinator to vacate his position so that a new can take charge.

He indicated that when the story broke that some alleged Delta Force members had tried forcing DCOP Opare Addo from office, he was very worried that in spite of legislation to disband the all vigilant groups in the country, Delta Force was still working.

Giving the circumstances surrounding his removal from office even after his contract was renewed by the National Security Secretariat, George Ayisi said, DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo was given a two-year contract by the National Security Secretariate and after it expired, the secretariate renewed.

In the renewal terms, there were clauses therein that, if the National Security Secretariate decides to truncate the tenure of the officer, two weeks’ notice must be given with pay in the lure of the truncation of the agreement and vice versa.

“And so, his mandate was renewed and in February 2021, the National Security felt they were not going to continue [working with DCOP Opare Addo] based on certain intelligence they had and so, they thought they were going to truncate his term, and he ought to relinquish power. So, it was communicated to him and it was decided that in May, somebody was going to take over, enough time was given to him [DCOP Opare Addo] to prepare and leave office.

“Yet, he decided he is not going to heed to that. Letters were sent to him, he wasn’t responding so, he was invited to come to Accra to the National Security Coordinator, he decided not to oblige then the National Security Coordinator decided to detail men to go and bring him," George Ayisi narrated.

He added, "When the facts were later rolled out, it turned out that these were officers detailed from the National Security to go and bring one of their own. The new officer Lieutenant Colonel Francis Dofa Arthur was to take over, DCOP Opare Addo says no; I don't know why because somebody appointed you and you work within the structures, you are accountable to somebody and so if there is anything that your superior officer says yes your contract has ended, relinquish your position and move on whatever compensation will be given to you and you say no, as if you appointed yourself, I don't get it...if you decide to disobey an order, you must pay the consequence for that."

Ayisi noted the security services like the National Security thrive on orders, ranking, therefore, DCOP Opare Addo not obeying an order to vacate his position in the Ashanti Region committed a crime which he needed to be arrested for with the National Security.

“Look disobeying orders is a crime. If you disobey orders, instruction by your superior officer; it is a crime and you can be locked up. You either be court marshall or march to the odd room and then you will be drilled. You can be locked for two, three days,” he said.

“So, if your superior officer gives you order, and you decide to blatantly disregard it and you say what; you should be allowed to do what? A person who’s risen in the police rank to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), it’s not a small post ooo and you are disobeying orders?

“I’ve seen policemen locked up in cells and drilled in the hot sun [12 noon to 2 pm], be caring a long gun not AK47, over your head for two hours moving back and forth…and here we are trying to dignify that?” Ayisi quizzed.

He questioned DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo why he should describe some of the security officers as members of the “defunct” vigilante group of the party Delta Force.

“If they had been with the Delta Force and they’ve been incorporated into the National Security…unless you say they seize to be Ghanaians because they’ve been part of Delta Force before so they don’t have any right to be in the National Security,” George Ayisi stated further.