Go to court if you’re unhappy with dismissal - Minister to Opare-Addo

The immediate past Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Mr Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo, who is a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police has been advised to proceed to court if he was unhappy with his removal from office and the circumstances surrounding it.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei Mensah who gave the advise also urged Mr Opare-Addo to desist from the media utterances in relation to the matter.

To him, Mr Opare-Addo distinguished himself whilst in office and therefore the media utterances he was currently engaged in was likely to erode the good works he did.

In a radio interview monitored by Graphic Online on Accra based Okay FM Tuesday morning, Mr Osei Mensah said Mr Opare-Addo tried to ignore the notice to him to vacate the office.

Explaining, he said as a Regional Minister, he himself received a letter notifying him that a new Regional Security Coordinator had been appointed.

He said he spoke to Mr Opare-Addo about the development but he later received information from Mr Opare-Addo that he had been asked to continue with his work.

Mr Osei Mensah indicated that Mr Opare-Addo had attempted to stay in office disregarding the notice on the appointment of a new person.

To him, it was needless for such a high ranking officer to be engaging in a media war in matters like this when he can get it amicably resolved.

Regional Minister's version

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei Mensah denied the existence of any “Delta Force” or “Little Force” group in the Ashanti Region and therefore asked those who have knowledge of them to alert him on where they meet so that he [Regional Minister] can apprehend them.

He said what was known as Delta Force and which he was aware of has already been "disbanded in this country and it is illegal to have any vigilante group".

He said it was better to be truthful about the incident and insisted, he only received a letter informing him of the appointment of a new regional security liaison officer.

He said after about a week, the person reported to him [Osei Mensah], "so we expected DCOP Opare-Addo (retired) to vacate the place and handover."

He said Opare-Addo indicated to him via telephone alleging that he [Opare-Addo} had been asked to continue with his work.

According to Mr Osei Mensah, when he made some enquiries, he was told that it was not true and that he [Opare-Addo] “had been refused” and that the new person was to take over.

He said he therefore appealed to Mr Opare-Addo to handover until another letter came to reverse the appointment of the new person.

He said per the conversation he had with Mr Opare-Addo, he was aware he was to handover and that is why he tried to consult some elderly people to intervene on his part for him to continue with his work.

Condemnation of incident

He said those who went to the office in the attempt to remove him had no right to do that and also the said security officers should not have arrested him as alleged since there was no need for that.

He said “what  they did was wrong” and he urged Mr Opare-Addo to lodge a formal complaint for it to go further when he spoke personally with him.

“We should be truthful to ourselves,” Mr Osei Mensah insisted when the host suggested that Mr Opare-Addo had said he was not aware of his removal.

He said it was not true that Mr Opare-Addo was not aware of his removal and advised that he should not do things that will jeopardise his good career as a retired police deputy commissioner and a lawyer.

Take legal action

He appealed to Mr Opare-Addo to take a legal action against the people who stormed his office.

He said if he was to take a legal action, those behind that act would be exposed and it can be cleared whether they are from Delta Force or not.

I have told him to stop what he is doing and go to court if he wants to, else he may disgrace himself and destroy his career. Mr Osei Mensah added.

Removal

On Tuesday, May 11, 2021 a group of persons suspected to be part of the disbanded pro-NPP vigilante group, the Delta Force, were arrested for allegedly attempting to forcibly remove Mr Opare-Addo from his office as the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator.

Said to be acting with operatives of the National Security on the orders of superiors, they insisted on taking Mr Opare-Addo out of his office.

This created some confusion at the place.

Police personnel from the Ashanti Regional Police Command, led by the Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Mr David Agyemang Adjem, subsequently arrested the said members of the group.

They were later reportedly granted bail.

Opare-Addo speaks 

Mr Opare-Addo has indicated that he will take appropriate action following what he said was a forceful removal from office by members of the supposedly disbanded pro NPP vigilante group, Delta force.

He described the ordeal he went through in the hands of the seven men who purported to be National Security operatives as humiliating.

“Yes, certainly an action will be taken. They came and assaulted me, pointing AK 47 at me and the likes, hitting me, even when I was going to urinate one of the boys followed me and said he was following me to the toilet, I said what do you mean?

“He said but you’re a man, I am also a man, I can look at it because you can also look at mine. I said why! Am I a baby or child? So I am not going to look at this without taking any action,” he said.

Speaking in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM, Mr Opare-Addo said he personally identified two of the operatives who arrested him, as members of the supposed disbanded group.

“The Delta Force was disbanded, so I knew they would not act again. I never expected the Delta Force to act this way because I knew them, and when I realised that they were not faithful to the government of the day, I disbanded the vigilante group. But they are [now] calling themselves National Security operatives,” he said.

DCOP Ayesu Opare-Addo (rtd) also recounted his ordeal at the hands of the operatives. He questioned the reasonability of his treatment at the hands of his assailants.

“I was the one they attacked. They handcuffed me and hit me with an AK-47. I don’t know why a reasonable and sensible senior operative of the National Security will direct junior officers to come and attack me when they can call me and handle this matter reasonably,” he added.

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh

Follow on Twitter @enochfrimpong