Dec. 7 Polls: Police hits back at Mahama – NPP has not bribed us

The Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) James Oppong Boannuh has denied claims that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) bribed officers to vote for Nana Addo in the just ended special voting exercise.

According to him, monies given to the officers were their election duty allowances which hitherto were paid after the officers have finished their election assignment.

This he said sometimes affects the morale of these officers in the performance of this special national duty.

The IGP’s statements follows widely circulated assertions being peddled in some social media circles that officers were given cash to vote for the NPP.

Cops Bribed

The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) last week accused the government of attempting to buy the votes of some security personnel in the elections.

He alleged that some amounts of money have been paid into the accounts of police officers in order to influence their decision in the December 7 polls.

“I just learnt from a group of police officers that they’ve paid money into their accounts, all of them, all police officers,” he said.

Speaking during a rally in the Tamale North Constituency and in a rally in the Damongo Constituency, Mr. Mahama stated that the move is a result of the dissipating morale of security services under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo.

“Today the Ghana Police Service doesn’t have the courage and confidence that they used to have before. Because he’s infiltrated the Police Service with thugs and hoodlums Invincible Forces, Delta Forces who have no sense of discipline.

“Promotion in the service is based on your political colour instead of your merit and he thinks that he can buy our police officers with GH¢1,000 or GH¢2,000 just because an election is coming?” he quizzed.

The NDC flagbearer further added that the officers “will take that money and vote against him.”

No Bribes

But the IGP stated in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, that the assertions are palpably false and unfounded.

Mr. Oppong Boannuh said unlike previous times those monies were now being paid directly into the account of the officer, instead of on table tops which could be subject to abuse and other short changes.

He said the monies being given to the men were a routine duty allowance and not what some people in certain quarters are alleging and that there was a similar disbursement during the COVID- 19 lockdown.

The IGP indicated the monies were basically GH₵ 100 a day for five days and that the extra GH₵ 100 which made up the total of GH₵ 600 was intended for the officers to use to sew their uniforms which had been distributed to the men, but were not sewn due to the consignment of uniforms arriving late, making it impossible for tailors of the Service to sew it for the personnel.

He said all officers were expected to, without any excuse, be in the traditional Police uniforms.