Operation get 'joking' CID boss sacked launched

The Executive Director of the Institute for Liberty & Policy Innovation (ILAPI-Ghana), has started soliciting signatures from Ghanaians to petition President Nana Akufo-Addo to remove the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo Danquah, over her handling of the kidnapping of three girls in Takoradi.

As of 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 15 May 2019, 53 individuals had signed the online petition at change.com.

The petition will be presented to Mr Akufo-Addo when the target of 100 signatures is achieved.

At a press conference in Accra on 2 April 2019, the CID boss said that the police knew the whereabouts of the missing girls and was working towards their rescue.

COP Addo-Danquah said: "We know where the girls are."

However, in a recent interview, she said her earlier comment had been misunderstood by the public and that it was meant to give hope to the families of the kidnapped girls.

“We never expected to hear such unmeasured security communication from her at a time when the families and the public are disturbed about the whereabouts of the kidnapped children. She must apologise and resign,” Peter Bismark Kwofie said in the petition.

“Security integrity is very important in building trust between the public and the security services. COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah can’t joke with sensitive security issues of the state. She and her men are clearly complicit in maintaining the expectations of perfect results while knowing full well that such outcomes are simply impossible. Her presence in that high office is a clear indication that the Ghana Police Service is facing a crisis of institutional integrity,” Mr Kwofie added.

The missing girls are 18-year-old Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie, last seen on 21 December 2018; 21-year-old Priscilla Blessing Bentum, last seen on 17 August 2018; and 18-year-old Ruth Love Quayson, last seen on 4 December 2018.

Three other groups, Democratic Forum, Alliance for Good Governance and the Fali Foundation have also issued separate statements expressing similar sentiments.

“The President must break his silence on the matter and act accordingly”, said the Democratic Forum, adding: “We call on His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo to, at this moment of rising tension, (in the refusal of the CID Boss to resign within 48 hours) FIRE THE CID BOSS, address the nation and assure citizens of Ghana of our safety and the commitment of his government in safeguarding same.”

Similarly, the Fali Foundation said: “We are not only disappointed in the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigative Department Director-General COP Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, we are seriously outraged and baffled with the level of insensitivity and lack of tact in her recent comments that her earlier assurance that they knew the whereabouts of the three kidnapped Takoradi girls was actually false and she was rather misconstrued because she just wanted to give hope to the grieving families of these ladies.

“As a nongovernmental organisation that puts much premium on the girl child and women empowerment, we were delighted about her appointment to the high office of Director-General of the Criminal Investigative Department, but we must say without any equivocation that she has been very disappointing, insensitive and incompetent, and as such not worthy of emulation.

“One can only imagine the trauma and pain the affected families will be going through with these latest unfortunate revelations. The CID boss’ credibility has waned and can no longer inspire hope and her continuous stay in office doesn’t inspire confidence to the family and Ghanaians at large about her ability to get these kidnapped girls back to their families. We empathise with the affected families and we share in their pain, sorrow and frustration. We are deeply worried about the clueless and lacklustre behaviour in bringing the perpetrators to book by the police.

“Madam Tiwaa Addo-Danquah must render an unqualified apology to the affected families and Ghanaians for her gross incompetence and lack of awareness in the manner in which she gave false hope and assurances to getting these kidnapped girls rescued and reunited with their families. We call on the President to dismiss her as a matter of urgency in the spate of this glaring unprofessionalism and deliberate insensitivity. We need to restore credibility to the office of the CID and bring in competent and experienced individuals to man the office and help get our dear sisters back.”

For their part, the Alliance for Good Governance said the CID boss “intended to play with our intelligence”.

“We, Alliance for Good Governance, are absolutely perplexed of your useless comment you made recently”, the group said in a statement.

With the CID boss considered as one of the likely candidates to replace retiring Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu, the group wondered if COP Addo-Danquah “is serious and fit for IGP”.

The group said it “will never agree if the president decides to appoint you (COP Addo-Danquah) on that incompetence and frivolous activity of yours”.