It has emerged that a stalwart in the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, allegedly insisted on a visit to Mallams to fight spiritually for Commissioner George Alex Mensah to become Inspector General of Police (IGP).
According to Superintendent George Asare, Bugri Naabu informed him that despite COP Mensah being a Christian, it was prudent that the Commissioner also consult Mallams.
This was an answer to a question posed by Eric Opoku, Member of Parliament for Asunafo South.
Supt. Asare said, “Chief Bugri Naabu made an emphatic statement about this thing. I want to quote him verbatim, but it will be difficult. In this thing, you have to fight it both physically and spiritually. And then he gave us examples, and by those examples, he meant people that he helped fight for the positions spiritually.
“It was a private conversation and I don’t want to make it public here. But for the spiritual one, he went further to show us which places he could go. So, it was on the premise of this that I made the statement that, Alhaji, you are the spiritual controller. Because you [Bugri Naabu] made us understand that I didn’t even know that, when you are fighting for a position, you have to fight it in two ways, both spiritually and physically.”
Superintendent Asare was on Monday, September 4, 2023 answering questions from the Parliamentary Committee and probing the leaked audio about plans to oust the current IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.
EVIL
The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Boamah, asked what was running through Supt. Asare’s mind when Bugri Naabu was talking about consulting Mallams.
He started by indicating that the leaked audio being probed had been doctored and that the culprit did so with “evil” intentions, as the part where he objected to the use of Mallams was edited.
“The one who doctored the tape actually meant something evil because this is a conversation we have had; what was going through my mind, I said it, but it wasn’t captured on the tape,” he said.
He continued, “What was going through my mind? I said it, but it wasn’t captured on tape. I said that, as for Master [COP George Alex Mensah], I don’t think he will like these things. He is a staunch Christian, so I don’t think he will buy into this idea of fighting this spiritually because he’s a Christian. He [Bugri Naabu] mentioned some Imams that can help pray for him [COP Alex Mensah].
“Some Imams can help him with prayers. Chief Bugri Naabu insisted that he also had to see some Mallams. He recommended about three, some in the north and some from his village. It was Chief Bugri Naabu himself that came forth with that suggestion,” Supt. Asare insisted.
Earlier, Eric Opoku had sought explanation about an incomplete statement, ‘ɛnkyɛ,’ which translates into English as “it would not be long”.
Responding to that, Supt. Asare indicated that Bugri Naabu told them in Twi that it would not be long before he, Dampare, would be removed.
“But what is contained in the tape is ɛnkyɛ [it will not be long]. He made a complete statement. That is why I initially said that tape is doctored,” he explained.
LOBBY
He answered No to a question from Peter LancheneToobu, about whether he had been contracted to lobby for anyone. He had earlier debunked an assertion that, based on the recommendation he made about Commissioner, he would be the next IGP, meant that he was lobbying.
Regardless, he noted that lobbying had been with man since Adam.
He told the committee that he was invited to Bugri Naabu’s office after he had accompanied Naabu’s son to see his father, which was his first time meeting Bugri Naabu.
Upon arriving, Bugri Naabu indicated that there was a scout for a new IGP and whether he had someone he could recommend, which he mentioned COP George Alex Mensah, COP Dr. Ernest Owusu, COP Christian Tetteh Yuhono and COP Maame Tiwaa Addo Danquah.
