COP Mr George Alex Mensah
Explosive revelations regarding the significant impact of political party affiliation on Ghanaian police promotions have surfaced during COP George Alex Mensah’s testimony before a parliamentary committee.
COP George Alex Mensah, testifying before the Atta Akyea-led Parliamentary Committee investigating the leaked IGP tape, disclosed that party allegiance played a significant role in police promotions between 2008 and 2016. Mensah outlined how this practice detrimentally affected his own career, causing him to remain without promotion for an astonishing nine years, largely due to his perceived alignment with the NPP.
Mensah’s testimony provided insights into the complex inner workings of the police promotions system, where he pointed out that academic promotions seemed to have disappeared, with 38 officers suing the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over their absence. He emphasized that the focus had shifted to normal and special recommendations.
Alex Mensah firmly believes that the current Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo-Dampare, rose to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) ahead of him due to his political affiliation with the NDC, which was in power at the time.
The crux of Mensah’s testimony revolved around the pervasive influence of political affiliation on promotions, which diverted promotions from merit-based to politically aligned. Despite these allegations, Mensah acknowledged his own promotion from Assistant Commissioner to Deputy Commissioner between 2017 and 2019, considering it a normal progression.
Mensah elaborated on the contemporary promotion system, emphasizing its reliance on normal promotions and special recommendations. When questioned about his own promotion, he indicated that he had long deserved it, emphasizing that promotions should ideally be free from political influence. However, he admitted the paradoxical nature of his own rapid rise from Assistant Commissioner to Deputy Commissioner in a relatively short timeframe.
Mensah’s revelations prompted the Chairman of the Committee, Samuel Atta Akyea, to swiftly interrupt the witness and instruct him not to disclose further information that might tarnish the image of the Police service unless discussed privately.
During Mensah’s testimony, the issue of political party affiliations within the Ghana Police Service was prominently addressed. He confirmed the coexistence of officers aligned with both the NDC and the NPP and revealed that some officers had voluntarily resigned from the police service to pursue political careers on the tickets of political parties, despite established rules requiring a five-year party membership for eligibility.
COP George Alex Mensah’s revelations during his testimony have reignited public scrutiny of the intricate relationship between political allegiances and internal police operations, particularly in terms of promotions. As the Parliamentary Committee’s investigation into the leaked IGP tape continues, it continues to uncover fresh insights into the functioning and challenges faced by the Ghanaian police force. Many are now contemplating the potential implications of these revelations on the impartiality and professionalism of the police service in Ghana.
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