UK High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson, has stated that a recent critique of her person and comments by the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has not marred the relationship between the UK and Ghana.
According to her, both countries continue to enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship as they cooperate in different areas to address common challenges.
Speaking on Accra-based Joy News on August 28, she said the IGP’s confrontation was a misunderstanding which cannot be allowed to throw the UK-Ghana relationship out of gear.
Harriet Thompson detailed that the UK has recently been providing training for members of the Ghana Police Service to effectively equip them in combating menaces.
“As far as I am concerned it’s in the past. It was a misunderstanding but the relationship that the UK has with the Ghanaian Police Service is really an important one. It goes back many years. Recently we have provided training to detectives in the police service, we are providing training on countering explosives devices, response to inner crisis [sic] and that is what I want us to be talking about and it’s that work that absolutely carries on as part of the security dialogue that we have been talking about,” she said.
“Yeah [our relationship remains intact]. It is important that it remains that way for both of our sake because as I say, the challenges that Ghana faces are the challenges that the UK faces as well. Our relationship is too important for a misunderstanding like that to affect it so I want to reassure people that it has not and it will not [affect the UK relationship with Ghana],”she added.
Background
IGP Dampare dominated the media space in the latter part of May after a four-page letter signed by him was published by the Ghana Police Service.
The four-paged letter addressed to the British High Commissioner sparked conversation owing to its content.
The letter dated 20th May, 2022 addressed issues raised in a tweet by Harriet Thompson, the UK High Commissioner to Ghana, regarding the arrest of #FixTheCountry Movement Convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor.
Her tweet of May 17, 2022, read: “Oliver Barker Vormawor, convener of #FixTheCountry movement arrested again, I understand for a motoring offence on his way to court. I’ll be interested to see where this goes."
But the IGP in his response described the content of the tweet as unnecessary and biased. He further urged that the diplomat keeps within the limits of what concerns her.
“For the moment, we would recommend a Ghanaian saying that might guide you in your diplomatic engagements. The saying goes: ‘di wo fie asem’ – it means learn to keep within the limits of what concerns you,” the concluding parts of the statement signed by the IGP said.
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