• The National Security Coordinator says his contract had expired
• Some alleged Delta Force members who are now National Security Officers were detailed to Kumasi to bring DCOP Opare Addo to Accra
A member of the governing NPP has disclosed that the embattled Ashanti Regional Security Liaison Officer, DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo, did not obey his superiors when he was asked to vacate his position for a new officer to be in charge.
Giving the circumstances surrounding his removal from office even after his contract was renewed by the National Security Secretariat, George Ayisi said, DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo was given a two-year contract by the National Security Secretariate and after it expired, the secretariat renewed.
In the renewal terms, there were clauses therein that, if the National Security Secretariate decides to truncate the tenure of the officer, two weeks’ notice must be given with pay in lieu of the truncation of the agreement and vice versa.
“And so, his mandate was renewed and in February 2021, the National Security felt they were not going to continue [working with DCOP Opare Addo] based on certain intelligence they had and so, they thought they were going to truncate his term, and he ought to relinquish power. So, it was communicated to him and it was decided that in May, somebody was going to take over, enough time was given to him [DCOP Opare Addo] to prepare and leave office.
“Yet, he decided he is not going to heed to that. Letters were sent to him, he wasn’t responding so he was invited to come to Accra to the National Security Coordinator, he decided not to oblige then the National Security Coordinator decided to detail men to go and bring him.”
According to George Ayisi, the security services like the National Security thrives on orders, ranking, therefore, DCOP Opare Addo not obeying an order to vacate his position in the Ashanti Region committed a crime which he needed to be arrested for with the National Security.
“Look, disobeying orders is a crime. If you disobey orders, instruction by your superior officer; it is a crime and you can be locked up. You either be court marshalled or march to the odd room and then you will be drilled. You can be locked up for two, three days,” he said while contributing to a discussion on Alhaji and Alhaji on Pan African TV monitor by GhanaWeb.
He added, in the barracks, junior officers are seen saluting their superiors left, right and centre just because they are obeying orders and “that’s the way it works”.
“So, if your superior officer gives you [an] order, and you decide to blatantly disregard it and you say what; you should be allowed to do what? A person who’s risen in the police rank to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), it’s not a small post ooo and you are disobeying orders?
“I’ve seen policemen locked up in cells and drilled in the hot sun [12 noon to 2 pm], be carrying a long gun, not an AK 47, over your head for two hours moving back and forth…and here we are trying to dignify that?” Ayisi quizzed.
He questioned DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo why he should describe some of the security officers as members of the “defunct” vigilante group of the party, Delta Force.
“If they had been with the Delta Force and they’ve been incorporated into the National Security…unless you say they cease to be Ghanaians because they’ve been part of Delta Force before so they don’t have any right to be in the National Security,” George Ayisi stated further.
He, however, indicated that the National Security Secretariate intervened in the removal of the officers from the police station when DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo called the police to arrest them.
He reiterated that the National Security Officers were detailed by the National Security Secretariate to “bring the man [DCOP Opare Addo] to Accra”.
“The issue is, I understand when they went to him [DCOP Opare Addo], he pulled his sidearm; it’s serious because he feels those people were a threat so he could have shot any of them and I understand they [National Security Officers] had a gun…so, in the security system when order is given, you obey; if you disobey, you have a question to answer even if you think that order is not right, that’s why they say obey before complain,” George Ayisi stressed.
DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo (seated)