Shake-up in police hierarchy; Maame Yaa Tiwaa, Eklu affected

The Police Administration has made a massive shake-up in its top hierarchy, leading to the rotation of 24 top police officers at the headquarters, the command and the regional levels.

The reshuffle, which saw the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Commissioner of Police (COP) Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, move to head the Welfare Department as Director-General, takes effect from Wednesday, January 15, 2020.

The CID boss has been replaced by the Director-General in charge of Administration, COP Mr Isaac Ken Yeboah, who is a lesser known public face.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, announced the re-assignments in two separate statements released yesterday, with a third communication which annulled some two postings and reaffirmed three others.

Changes

The shake-up is the first major reshuffle by the Police Administration since Mr Oppong-Boanuh took over as the IGP of the Ghana Police Service on October 9, 2019, with a two-year contract extension.

Other changes include the COP Dr George Akuffo Dampare, the Director-General of Welfare, now taking over as the Director-General, Administration, while the Director-General in charge of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD), COP Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, will now become the Director-General in charge of Special Duties.

COP Yohuno will be replaced by the Director-General in charge of the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB), COP Mrs Beatrice Zakpa Vib-Sanziri.

The changes also saw the Director-General, Services, COP Mr Alex Amponsah-Asiamah, move to take over as the Director-General of Informational and Communications Technology (ICT), with the Director-General, Operations, COP Mr George Alex Mensah, heading to the Services Unit as its Director-General.

The rest are Director-General, Special Duties, COP Mr Francis Ebenezer Doku, now taking charge of the Ghana Police Service Workshops, while the Eastern Regional Commander, COP Mr Alphonse Adu Amankwaah, will take over as the Director-General of Private Security Organisations (PSO) Unit, with the Western Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Redeemer Vincent Dedjoe, moving to head PPSB as Director-General.

In a similar vein, the Ahafo Regional Commander, DCOP Mr Kwaku Boadu-Peprah, now takes over as the Director-General in charge of Operations with an officer at the Police Headquarters, DCOP Ms Elizabeth Appolonia Dassah, moving to head the Female Police (FEMPOL) Secretariat.

Command changes

At the Regional Command level, 12 commanders have been reshuffled.

They are the Deputy Regional Commander of the Upper East Region, DCOP Mr Paul Kwame Ayittey, who will take over as the Regional Commander of the Oti Region; the Regional Commander of the North East Region, DCOP Mr Albert Nang-Baa Denkaabe, has been reassigned as the Armourer-General, with the Regional Commander of the Oti Region, DCOP Mr Osei Asibey Ahenkan, reassigned as the Director in charge of Logistics.

DCOP Mr Moses Asabagna Atibillah, who is the Director of the Monitoring and Inspectorate Unit, Research and Planning (MIU/R&P), will now serve as the Deputy Northern Regional Commander, while the Deputy Northern Regional Commander, DCOP Mr Felix Fosu-Agyemang, now moves to the Western Region as its Commander.

The Deputy Commander of the Tema Region, DCOP Mr Ernest Owusu, will become the Ahafo Regional Commander, while the Accra Central MTTD Commander, DCOP Mr Anderson Fosu-Ackah, now takes over as the Tema Regional Commander.

The Director-General of the Public Affairs Directorate of the Police Service, DCOP Mr David Senanu Eklu, will now move to the Police Hospital as the Administrator.

The Deputy Commander of the North East Region, DCOP Mr Charles Domanban, has been promoted as the Commander of the same region with the Administrator, Police Hospital, DCOP Mr Victor Adusah-Poku, moving to the Western Region as Deputy Regional Commander.

The Divisional Commander of Nkawkaw, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Andrews Boadu-Ekumah, takes over as the Deputy Commander of the Ahafo Regional Command.

Annulled postings

Two other police officers, whose earlier reshuffled positions were annulled, were also reassigned. They are the Techiman Divisional Crime Officer, Superintendent of Police, Mr Mathias K. Yevugah, who now moves to the Oda Division in the Eastern Region as the Crime Officer, while the Crime Officer of the Oyibi District Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Addo Kofi Sarkodie, becomes the Crime Officer of Techiman Division of the Bono East Region.

Others are the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ms Cecilia Harriet Appiah-Ampofo, of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) at the Ministries Police Station under the Accra Regional Police Command, now moved to the Airport Divisional Police Command under the same region.

The Head of the Anti Human Trafficking Unit in the Ashanti Region, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ms Regina Eleanor Mintah, will now serve as the Crime Officer of the Ashanti Regional Central Police District, with the Crime Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr David Quanson Joachim, moving to the Mamprobi District Police Command in Accra as its Crime Officer.