Deputy IGP withdraws letter

Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Former Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Dr K. K. Manfo, has formally withdrawn a letter he wrote challenging a Police Council directive to him to proceed on retirement.
Sources close to the Police Administration told the Daily Graphic on Saturday that Dr Manfo’s withdrawal letter also expressed regret about the strong language he used in his letter dated August 29, 2007.
The sources said the letter had been received in good faith and that Dr Manfo had accordingly complied with the directive.
The Daily Graphic, in its September 1, 2007 issue, published a story in which the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick K. Acheampong and Dr Manfo were said to have been embroiled in a war of words.
While the Police Council, in a letter dated August 24, 2007 and signed by the IGP, Mr P. K. Acheampong, had directed Dr Kofi Kesse Manfo, one of his two deputies, to retire with effect from September 1, 2007, Dr Manfo , on the other hand, challenged the directive, describing it as unlawful.
However, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, when reached on phone in the Sandema District in the Upper East Region, said the decision reached by the Police Council was irreversible and that Dr Manfo had to go on retirement.
He said he had spoken to Dr Manfo, who had expressed regret about the tone of a letter he wrote to the IGP in response to the directive from the Police Council and indicated his willingness to withdraw the letter and proceed on leave prior to retirement.
In the letter, the Police Council requested Dr Manfo, as well as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Douglas Akrofi-Asiedu and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Victor Tandoh to proceed on their terminal leave with effect from September 1, 2007.
But in a sharp rebuttal, Dr Manfo said in a letter dated August 29, 2007 that the order to him to retire could not be complied with because the directive was unlawful as the IGP acted ultra vires.
He indicated that he was shocked by the notice of the IGP.
In the letter, Dr Manfo said he was appointed as Deputy IGP by the President the same day the IGP was also appointed.
Dr Manfo said his position and that of the IGP were presidential appointments and consequently it was the President who could ask either of them to retire.
Meanwhile, in another letter dated August 17, 2007, the IGP has reminded 18 other officers that they are due for retirement sometime this year.
The 18 officers are made up of one Commissioner of Police (COP), 11 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP) and seven Chief Superintendents of Police.
It reminded those who had completed their terminal leave to hand over all police accoutrements to their Regional Commanders and hand over their commands to the next most senior officer designated by their Regional Commanders.
However, in the case of COP Francis Kwaku Agyeman, the IGP asked him to hand over to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Administration.
While thanking them for their invaluable services to the Ghana Police Service, the IGP wished them the best in their future endeavours.