Dampare tells diplomat to mind her own business
Dampare's four-page letter divides public opinion
A former flagbearer of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Brigitte Dzogbenuku has accused Inspector-General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare of displaying sexist posturing in his May 20 letter to the topmost British diplomat in Ghana.
According to her, the IGP chose to use a highhanded approach in responding to British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson's tweet on the Oliver Barker-Vormawor arrest last month.
She pointed out that Dampare would not have resorted to a similar posture if the High Commissioner was a man. Dzogbenuku stressed that the two predecessors of Thompson would not have been treated the way the IGP had dealt with her.
“I tend to be very gender-conscious and we’ve had Jon Benjamin and the other one who used to ride the bike (Iain Walker) say and write many things. Has there ever been a response like this?
"I have met the British High Commissioner, and it’s almost as if let’s intimidate her, shut her up. And you won’t do this if she were a man,” she stated.
She also pointed out that it wasn't the place of the Police chief to respond to the diplomat and that it was for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to do so. She added that even if he wanted to respond, it should have been through the Ministry.
“First of all, I didn’t think in my opinion that it was in the place of the IGP to send the response. And I think that they’re addressing that. As of last night (June 1, 2022), I heard that the Minister of Foreign Affairs was going to take it up.
"So that was a good idea. That ought to have been done before. The IGP ought to have sent or relayed his message to the High Commissioner through the Foreign Minister. That’s the best way to do it. It was terse.
"It was like using a sledgehammer on a fly really. Because it was a little tweet. And the response was over the top if you like”, she said.
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Dzogbenuku also joined persons who hold the view that the tweet by the British High Commissioner was harmless and in no way confrontational, to elicit the response the IGP fired back.
Dampare dominates news with letter to UK envoy
Inspector-General of Police, George Akuffo-Dampare has been in the news for the better part of Tuesday, May 31, 2022, after a previously restricted four-page letter signed by him was published by the Ghana Police Service.
The letter addressed to the British High Commissioner has since sparked conversation on various platforms since its release.
The letter dated 20th May, 2022 addressed issues raised in a tweet by Harriet Thompson, regarding the arrest of #FixTheCountry Movement Convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor.
Her tweet of May 17, 2022, read, “Oliver Barker Vormawor, convener of #FixTheCountry movement arrested again, I understand for a motoring offence on his way to court. I’ll be interested to see where this goes."
But the IGP in his response described the content of the tweet as unnecessary and biased. He further urged that the diplomat keeps within the limits of what concerns her.
“For the moment, we would recommend a Ghanaian saying that might guide you in your diplomatic engagements. The saying goes: ‘di wo fie asem’ – it means learn to keep within the limits of what concerns you,” the concluding parts of the statement signed by the IGP said.
Below is the full letter as released and shared by the Ghana Police Service on their Facebook page on Tuesday, May 31, 2022:
