I admire COP Alex Mensah for his skills but he should follow the chain of command in the Police – Norman

President and CEO of the Institute for Security, Disaster and Emergency Studies, Dr Ishmael Norman, has asked the Director of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, COP George Alex Mensah, to follow the chain of command in getting his concerns addressed.

Dr Norman says he admires the skills of COP Alex Mensah but he must follow the organisational structure of the police to address matters.

His comments come after COP Alex Mensah had indicated that although there is no bad blood between him and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare there are professional disagreements between them occasionally at the top level.

COP Alex Mensah described himself as one who is open and forward because “I speak my mind”.

He made this known on Thursday, August 31 when he appeared before the special seven-member committee set up by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to investigate the authenticity of leaked tape on the IGP.

He was captured together with some senior police officers and the former Northern Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Daniel Bugri Naabu, in a conversation ostensibly plotting to remove the IGP before the 2024 elections.

The tape had suggested that the IGP was doing the bidding of former President John Dramani Mahama, who has promised to keep him at post.

Though Chief Bugri Naabu confirmed the content of the tape, COP Alex Mensah denied the content saying portions have been “edited”. Notwithstanding, he said he has no issues whatsoever with the current IGP.

Speaking on this matter on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Thursday, August 31, Dr Ishamel Norma said “The two of them don’t see eye to eye, he is a lawyer who believes that he has the right to speak the truth to power but the way he is going about it is not the proper way.

“When you are in an organization like the police you have to follow the chain of command and you have to do things properly, going outside the chain of command and working to get things done is not the right way.

“I admire him for his skills, he is very adept in responding to questions but I think the whole approach is wrong.”