Ghana police has lost integrity under Akufo-Addo’s government – Akamba

The National Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed disappointment over the lack of will on the part the Ghana Police Service to investigate government institutions thoroughly.

Joshua Akamba who was speaking on Dwaboase on Power 97.9 FM on Tuesday alleged that president Nana Akufo-Addo has been interfering with the work of the police to favour his government.

The NDC Organiser was speaking on the back of an investigation the Police claimed it had launched into activities of some National Identification Authority (NIA) officials who were busted for allegedly registering people for the national identity card, Ghana Card at night.

They were reportedly busted at a private residence at Awudome, near the St Theresa Catholic Church in Accra on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at about 7:30 pm upon a tip-off.

Two NIA officials who were engaging in the act bolted after some residents of the area invaded the said private residence to pounce on the officers who were reportedly working outside of the approved location and work hours for the national exercise.

It has been a week after the incident, but the Kaneshie police, where the matter was reported to, is yet to brief the media or the public on the level of their investigation and its outcome.

But Speaking to Kwame Minkah, host of Ete Sen on Radio XYZ, Joshua Akamba explained that he personally gathered evidence from the crime scene and tendered them to the Kaneshie Police Station, yet the cops were yet to update the public on the progress of their investigations.

“The police has lost integrity in this country. They will continue to lose integrity as far as [President] Akufo-Addo remains the president in Ghana,” Akamba remarked while criticizing the police for “veering off” their core mandate of protecting the citizens.

Joshua Akamba said he was disappointed in the police because they had failed to update the public on the matter that had gained public interest.

Akamba believes the NIA officials who were busted registering some persons outside the registration center at an odd time were doing so to get unqualified persons to register with the NIA to gain Ghanaian status.

He went on to note that intelligence he had gathered indicate that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was behind such secret registration to get more people to register for the Ghana card so they could vote in the 2020 elections regardless of their nationality.

NIA And 2020 Elections

The opposition NDC which is an alternative government is very concerned with the issue because the NIA registration is likely to have an effect on the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has hinted of a new voter register ahead of the elections next year.

It is believed the country’s Electoral Commission will opt for the Ghana card as the main requirement to register new voters when the electoral body wants to compile a new voters register.

It is for this reason that the NDC wants the NIA registration to be clean and have the right people to register for it.

Meanwhile, the NIA has handed the matter to the police to investigate. Spokesperson for the NIA, Francis Palmdetti has told Power News the Authority would do everything possible to apprehend the officers who engaged in the act.

He added that the NIA would rely on the police to deal with the issue.