NDC Chases Kwasi Ofori Away From Kumasi

The agitation by National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the removal of Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, the immediate past District Police Commander for Tafo-Pankro, from the Ashanti region, has now been acceded to by the Police Council, headed by the Vice President, John Mahama.

This is what has led to the transfer of Kwesi Ofori back Accra to take charge of the Community Police Unit of the Ghana Police Service.

Though the Police Service is expected to do their work independently in terms of their operations, political watchers see the transfer of the former police chief from the Ashanti region as politically initiated by the NDC Ashanti Regional Chairman, Mr. Joseph Yamin.

The NDC regional chairman during the biometric voters’ registration exercise called on the Police Service to transfer Supt. Kwasi Ofori from the region because they could work with him again, as he was perceived to be supporting the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to the acting Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Police Service, DSP Cephas Arthur, the return of the former District Police Commander to head the Community Police Unit of the Ghana Police Service is due to his ability to mobilize the public to deal with crime.

“With his background as a PRO, he is good at mobilisation,” DSP Arthur said, adding: “It’s a concept that has to do with mobilisation and bringing policing at the doorsteps of the people, so the administration thought Kwesi Ofori is best at that.”

But insiders have debunked the claim, insisting the transfer was in response to the agitation from the NDC for his removal from the Ashanti Region, arguing that the Community Police had been there long before he was transferred to Kumasi.

The former Public Affairs Director of the Ghana Police Service was controversially transferred from the national headquarters, amidst conjectures that his re-assignment might have come about as a result of his alleged rush in the announcement of the interdiction of 17 police officers, over which the top police hierarchy was alleged to have been infuriated.

During the biometric registration exercise, the ruling National Democratic Congress in the Ashanti Region accused Supt. Ofori of conniving with the opposition New Patriotic Party to intimidate its members from registering.

This happened when the Supt. Ofori prevented some NDC thugs from disrupting the exercise in the Tafo-Pankrono District and placed GH2, 000 price tag on one of the thugs.