Nii Ayikoi Otoo is a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice
A former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, has shared his opinion regarding the government’s decision to remove former Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare.
Speaking on the development, Ayikoi Otoo stated that Dampare brought his troubles upon himself through his actions and his “authoritarian” leadership style, which involved disregarding advice from his peers.
According to him, had Dampare listened to the complaints of his colleagues in the police service and addressed their pressing issues and grievances, he might not have faced such a fate, especially considering he had not yet reached, nor was he close to his retirement age.
“To me, he did himself. I mean, I don’t think that he listened to any advice. He was not listening to advice. You are a leader, yes, but you are serving the public. You have people under you and you hear people complaining. Just listen to them, listen to them, and see what you can do about it. But you decide that this is what you want to do,” he said during an interview with GTV on March 17, 2025.
Ayikoi Otoo further argued that Dampare should have exercised more caution during his tenure, working within the system to his advantage in order to extend his time in office and secure his position.
“This is why he should have been extra careful, because if what we are hearing now that official age has even been tampered with, then it came very early. You have a long life ahead of you. And so, you should have been careful to manipulate the system if you like, in such a way that you can still have some time. But now you have been retired at this early age,” he said.
The politician did not hold back, strongly criticising Dampare for overstepping his jurisdiction as IGP and taking on responsibilities that were meant for individuals specifically assigned to those tasks.
“IGP, you go in an unmarked car and you’ll be watching traffic and say, I’ve seen this man driving in the middle. Is that his job? Is that his job? It’s the police IGP. Is that your job to be in an unmarked car and with his own group? He has his own group in Tundra, some special squad.
“There’s a lot of work for him to do in his office. IGP has the whole administration on his shoulders which he should be thinking of instead of going on roads and staying on marked cars. What is that?” he slammed the ex-IGP.
On March 13, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama relieved Dr George Akuffo Dampare of his duties as Inspector General of Police and subsequently appointed COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno as his replacement.
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You can also watch some interviews with some Ghanaian artistes at the unveiling of the 2025 TGMA on GhanaWeb TV below: