The Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, has been sworn in as the ‘Ekuo Na’ of Holy Family Akan Society for the Accra Catholic Archdiocese.

The historic event, which took place at the St Peter’s Catholic Church in Osu, coincided with the 54th birthday of the senior police officer, who is a devout Catholic and member of good standing.

National President of the Holy Family Akan Society, Albert Joseph Kodua, who gave a background of the association, which is 45 years old after being formed in 1978, revealed that challenges in understanding sermons in English and Ga by the Akan community inspired its formation.

“Our forbearers in Catholic faith in Accra who were Akans, could readily understand sermons in English and Ga as was the practice at the time. A petition was therefore submitted to the then Archbishop of Accra Diocese, Dominic Kodwo Andoh. He set a committee to look into the concerns and it granted the permission for the birth of Holy Family Akan Society for the Accra Catholic Archdiocese,” he revealed.

According to the national president, only a baptized Catholic, communicant, contribute to the growth and development of the church, adding that the person holds the position till death.

It is in light of this that COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah was chosen in view of her enormous contributions to the church and the various societies she belongs to in the Church.

She replaces Mrs. Esther Hamilton of St. Anthony Catholic Church at Taifa who passed on in 2022.

In her acceptance remarks, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah (Mrs) thanked the National Executives of Holy Family Akan Society for nominating her for the role.

“My Parish Priest told me it is an honour for me to be nominated for this role. He and other Priests promised to rally behind me in my new role. I use this opportunity to urge the Akan community here in Accra not to forget our roots and support each other. Let us also help the growth of the Church from where we hail so that they will grow. We should not make it appear as though the work of God only exists in Accra churches. God is everywhere ”, she encouraged.

Profile

Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah was born on 19th August 1969 at Konongo in the Asante Akyem district of the Ashanti Region.

She had her primary and secondary education at Roman Catholic Primary and Middle Schools, and Bompata Secondary School respectively

She is the first female Commandant of the Ghana Police Command and Staff College (GPCSC) located in Winneba, the Central Region of Ghana

Service

COP Addo-Danquah was recruited into the Ghana Police Service on July 27, 1990, and has risen through the ranks by dint of hard work and her desire to achieve higher academic laurels.

When she passed out, she was first posted to the Police Hospital Accounts Section as a constable.

After the 18-month probation, she was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1992 because she had enlisted with a Diploma in Business Studies (Accounting option), which she had obtained at the Kumasi Polytechnic between 1988 and 1990.

Having been promoted to Sergeant, she enrolled at the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) in 1995, passed the Level Two examination and was promoted to the rank of Chief Inspector.

That granted her direct entry to the Police College in October 1998.

Best Cadet

At the passing out ceremony in May 1999, she was adjudged the All-Round Best Cadet and the Best Student in Humanities, out of a class of 48 (46 males and two females), making her the second female to take that award at that time.

In recognition of her remarkable accomplishment, a special staff of honour was ordered from the United Kingdom (UK) by the then IGP, which was presented to her by the late Professor Evans Atta Mills, who was then the Vice-President.

Secondment

Along the line, she was made the administrator at the Police Hospital when the person in charge went on a peacekeeping mission.

Later, she also had the opportunity to go on a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, where she acted as the Logistics and Finance Officer for the Missing Persons Unit.

With her international peacekeeping experience in Kosovo under her staff belt, she was posted to the Finance Section of the Police Headquarters.

A chartered accountant, COP Addo-Danquah also had stints at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, where she learnt at first-hand information on public sector accounting. Following her successful understudy at that place, she was assigned to head the Commercial Crime Unit (CCU) of the CID for three years.