Professor Ransford Gyampo, a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, has defended Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare against recent criticisms by ACP Dr Benjamin Agordzo, describing the comments as unwarranted and unfair.
Speaking on Thursday, Professor Gyampo commended the IGP for his transformative leadership of the Ghana Police Service, which he believes has significantly elevated the institution’s reputation and effectiveness.
“The above is unfair and unfortunate. Respectfully, even though there’s freedom of speech, it doesn’t lie in the mouth of my respected retired police officer to be saying these,” Professor Gyampo remarked.
He stressed Dr Dampare’s achievements, including his resilience in office despite challenges, his unwavering commitment to fairness during the recent elections, and his bold defiance of orders that conflicted with his principles as a law enforcement officer.
Professor Gyampo credited the IGP with changing the face of policing in Ghana, noting that he has garnered widespread praise, including from opposition parties, for his impartiality and professionalism.
“This is the only IGP who has survived the plot of removal by his own appointing authority for doing his work well. He is the only IGP who could stop the planned massive deployment of soldiers to cause confusion at some voting centres in the just-ended elections,” he stated, adding that Dampare’s reforms have been widely felt across the country.
While acknowledging that no institution is perfect, Professor Gyampo urged critics to provide constructive feedback rather than reducing the IGP’s work to mundane concerns such as loan approvals for police officers.
“We can call on him to do more to address the challenges, but no one should remove this IGP simply because some loans being asked for by some police officers were refused,” he concluded, affirming that Dr Dampare’s leadership has set a standard worthy of support and recognition.
