Dr. Agordzo Responds to RTI Act Controversy and Calls for His Removal

ACP (Rtd) Dr. Benjamin Agordzo has strongly rebutted the recent re-invocation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act (Act 989) by Diana Daniels, which resulted in a controversial report by the Ghana Police Service (GPS) and sparked calls for his removal from his position as a lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

In his response, Dr. Agordzo accused Daniels, a close ally of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare, of attempting to intimidate him over his vocal criticism of IGP Dampare’s leadership. He alleged that Daniels had even threatened to physically harm him if he was not arrested, but he insisted he would continue his critiques of the IGP’s leadership style.

Dr. Agordzo further raised concerns about the factual accuracy of the GPS report, suggesting that it was hastily compiled to damage his reputation. He pointed out a glaring discrepancy in the report, claiming that it was dated December 9, 2024, despite the RTI request being made on December 12, 2024. “This shows their agenda,” Dr. Agordzo commented, noting that COP Paul Manly Awuni of the GPS had acknowledged the errors and promised to correct them.

On the petition for his removal filed by Kojo Otchere, Dr. Agordzo dismissed the allegations as baseless, questioning how his critical stance against the IGP could be linked to his role as a lecturer. “What does my criticism of Dampare have to do with my work as a lecturer at UPSA?” he asked, adding that he would leave it to the university to handle this matter.

Dr. Agordzo also suggested that he might pursue legal action against Daniels and the GPS for what he referred to as an abuse of the RTI Act. He emphasized the dangers of misusing the act to create and distribute misleading reports. “If the RTI Act is abused to produce inaccurate reports and publish them on social media, then nobody is safe,” he warned, stating that his legal team was considering action.

Finally, Dr. Agordzo addressed the controversy surrounding his previous dismissal and rank reduction in the GPS. He reiterated that his punishment stemmed from his refusal to comply with what he considered an unlawful order, an issue he had documented in his book From Persecution to Freedom. He concluded by stating that if given the opportunity, he would take the same stance again.