The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye has disclosed that he nearly lost his job as a police officer during the NPP administration due to his work schedule which got him close to former President Rawlings.
Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues programme Saturday, DCOP Kofi Boakye described as “surprising” the notion of many politicians that “they can mingle with anybody but the security men are forbidden to do that.”
He explained that he was forced to cut ties with his long term friend Okaidja Adamafio, the then Interior Minister in the 90s whom he worked closely with while serving in the police striking force.
“Immediately NPP came to power I had to cease talking to him, completely. NPP came to power and some of us were nearly sacked because there was that presumption that once I have travelled with the head of state before; because I travelled with Rawlings to Libya, once I was the lead policeman whenever Rawlings is coming I am automatically NDC.
"So eventually it had to take somebody like Francis Poku [head of national security in the Kufuor regime] to say that no we need to work with this guy… He (Mr. Poku) is somebody who understood what security is.”
Moreover, DCOP Kofi Boakye is warning of danger in the country if the practice where politicians continue to influence recruitment into the police service and the other security agencies is not halted.
He said the development only breeds incompetent and disloyal police personnel in the service.
Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues programme Saturday, DCOP Kofi Boakye called on politicians to put a stop to the practice and allow recruitment into the service to be done on merit.
“I think in the long run it will have a devastating effect on our security, if we don’t allow recruitments to be based on meritocracy but based on nepotism, patronage, favouritism, party political activity,” he said.
Likewise, he warned politicians about police officers who come to them to declare their affiliation because such personnel are “not loyal to the state, they are not loyal to the government and they are incompetent”.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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