The Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, has told Parliament that retired DCOP Opare Addo’s refusal to hand to over to his successor led to his forceful ejection from office.
Mr Kan Dapaah said DCOP Opare Addo (rtd), a former Ashanti Regional Security Liaison Officer, declined numerous invitations from the National Security Coordinator, Major General Francis Amanfo, to explain his refusal to vacate the office at the end of his two-year tenure.
“His continued stay in office was obstructing the work of the new Security Liaison Officer,†Mr Kan Dapaah told the House.
“The man had been given a letter that we were no longer retaining him in the system. His appointment had been terminated, he refused to go.
“Clearly, we needed to advise him to go. We talked to him on several occasions, but he wouldn’t leave the office. The position of Regional Security Liaison officer is so important, and we were not going to allow him to stay there for years or months without leaving. I don’t think there was anything improper with the decision to get him out of office by changing the locks to the office,†he added.
Mr Dapaah was explaining the circumstances leading to the ejection of DCOP Opare Addo (rtd) when he appeared before Parliament to respond to a question by Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi.
The ejected Security Coordinator had told the media following the action that he was evicted by members of the Delta Force vigilante group, who he alleged assaulted him for his defiance.
Mr Dafeamekpor thus wanted to know why DCOP Opare Addo was assaulted in his office in Kumasi.
Mr Kan Dapaah explained that DCOP Opare Addo was given a two-year contract, which began on January 5, 2018, as the Ashanti Regional Security Liaison Officer.
His new appointment, therefore, took effect on January 1, 2020, and was to expire on December 31, 2022.
Upon the termination of his contract DCOP Opare Addo was paid his entitlement as per his appointment letter, he said.
He said subsequent to the termination of DCOP Opare Addo's appointment, the Ministry appointed Colonel Francis Effah Arthur (Rtd) as the new Ashanti Regional Liaison Security Officer, effective May 1, 2021.
But DCOP Opare Addo refused to hand over to his successor.
Against this background, personnel from the Minister of National Security on May 11, 2021, were deployed to the Ashanti Region to ascertain the reason for DCOP Opare Addo’s refusal to hand over to his successor, and it became necessary to change the locks of the door to his office.
He said on arrival at the office, the personnel duly introduced themselves but were met with acts of hostilities by DCOP Opare Addo, including drawing his sidearm but the personnel managed to restrain him and retrieved the sidearm.
Mr Kan Dapaah said till date, no official complaint had been made by DCOP Opare Addo either to his immediate boss, the National Security Coordinator or to the sector minister regarding the alleged assault on him.
The Minister of National Security had also not received any correspondence from the Police in relation to the allegation by DCOP Opare Addo.
He assured the House of the willingness of the Ministry to investigate allegations of assault against DCOP Opare Addo should the victim make an official complaint to his outfit.
SOURCE: GNA