COP Kofi Boakye – Out or In?

The retirement of Commissioner of Police (COP) Nathaniel Kofi Boakye from the Ghana Police Service upon the attainment of 60 years reminds me of an interesting ‘event in the history of USA in the 1970s’.

A certain pastor of the gospel was so bored with so much dishonesty in the reading of tributes to the dead that he organised his own funeral and published an advertisement that there would be a funeral service for him on a certain date, so all those who had “tributes” to say about him should attend that service.

According to a “Reader’s digest publication of that story on the appointed date, this maverick Reverend Minister, in his white cassock, sat beside an open coffin in a pickup truck. And rode through the principal streets of the little community to the chapel where a “funeral service” was being held for him – what are you going to say about the man sitting there? “He was good” or bad”?

The last time I saw JJ Rawlings alive was at a strange funeral service at the Burma Camp Catholic Church, where the dead man, Col. Mensah Gbedemah, was so angry with tributes that he made it very clear before dying that there should be no tributes at his funeral service.

Reader, one of the most flamboyant police officers ever in our time, COP NATHANIEL KOFI BOAKYE, tall, very handsome, and full of energy, has just turned 60 years old, and by law, he must go on retirement, so I saw on television on a newscast about his final bowing out ceremony.

He is now COP Nathaniel Kofi Boakye (retired).

The first time I saw him was at the Accra Regional Police Headquarters, where I had gone as a private lawyer to get police inquiry bail for a client in 1999 or thereabouts. Kofi Boakye was then Superintendent Kofi Boakye, Regional Operations Officer at the Regional Headquarters.

Honest to God, I was impressed. He was in black overalls, ever ready, sitting behind his desk, giving instructions here and there, answering phone calls, his walkie-talkie, wow!!!

Asking around, I was told he held a university degree already—I said this man would go places.

Not long after, he was promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police and, surprisingly, appointed Greater Accra Regional Police Commander!!!

I came very close to him when I travelled to Berlin as Deputy Minister of the Interior to attend a security conference on the then-upcoming World Cup, and several times, especially after dinner, my delegation of security officers would gather in the hotel lobby to talk about issues generally. He was then the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

Long after, he became Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) and was sent to the Western Regional Police Headquarters as Regional Commander, where he left a legacy by building a fence wall around the building.

He was later moved to the Ashanti capital of Kumasi as Regional Commander, where, one day, it was reported in the news that at the Prempeh College entrance, the Regional Commander got out of his convoy and gave a hot chase to an offending driver, causing a major scene.

When I heard of the story, I remembered one night in the lobby in Berlin when one police officer said in the presence of Kofi Boakye and to his hearing that “Kofi is a successful commander because he himself is ‘basa basa’” – (Reader, what is the appropriate English translation of this Akan word – BASA BASA – “difficult”, “unruly”, “disorganised” or what?

At the headquarters, there is no division he did not head: administration, police intelligence & professional standards (PIPS), Legal – the man is a lawyer in addition! In fact, for a long time, he was a lecturer in criminal law at one of the Accra private universities!!!

For me, two critical comments have to be made about the retirement of COP Nathaniel Kofi Boakye at the age of 60.

First is the retirement age.

Why should a public servant be made to retire at age 60? Even Supreme Court judges retire at 70 (which I think is too early; why not 75?) so why should public servants in the prime of their age and experience be made to retire at the relatively young age of 60 years and become a burden on society with a pension?

The last time I saw Nathaniel Kofi Boakye was at the funeral service of former IGP CO Lamptey, and looking at this smart-looking, a seemingly forty-something-year-old officer with his swagger stick, you are telling me he is 60? Coming on retirement?

I honestly think we should do something about our retirement age—60 is too early. Even 65 might be alright, but 60—and you receive your pay thereafter till death at 90 something?

The second comment is that COP Nathaniel Kofi Boakye (retired) is out of the Ghana Police Service, but what now? In coming running mates of a possible National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Mahama, to create problems for the Akan votes and possibly future NDC presidential candidate? Or a possible parliamentary candidate for the NPP in one of the Ashanti constituencies, a safe seat? Or to open his own law firm, Kofi Boakye and Associates, with excellence in Criminal law?

All said, Kofi Boakye had paid his dues to Mother Ghana, but he is just too young to bow out in public life.

As a historian, I predict that we have not heard the last of Kofi Boakye yet. There is more to come.