COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, has now been appointed as the new head of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) despite her disappointing tenure in some key roles assigned to her in the past, especially as Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
The appointment of the media-crazy former CID boss, is said to be contained in a letter signed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare.
Few days ago, she was moved to the Presidency from CID headquarters in a sensational manner which saw the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, commending her over the move, but nothing was known about where she was heading. Indeed, no one anticipated her as boss of EOCO.
It is unclear why Deputy Executive Director, Nana Antwi who took over from Commissioner of Police (COP) retired, Frank Adu Poku, as acting Executive Director could not be made substantive EOCO boss.
According to a letter dated December 13, 2021, from the Police Service, signed by COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Director General, Administration to Maame Tiwaa, said “I am directed by the Inspector General of Police to release you from your current schedule and report to the Chief of Staff at the Presidency to be re-assigned”.
The Service wished her the best in her new appointment saying that ‘Your release takes immediate effect and wish you the best in the new position that you will be assigned.
“Please accept the compliments of the Inspector General of Police,” he stated.
There were reports that she was lobbying to be made the IGP, same way she had risen way above most of her senior officers in a manner which sparked rumour and murmurings in the police administration for a long time, including claims that she was a relative to the President, Nana Addo-Danquah Akufo-Addo.
It has been explained that her husband, bears the name “Addo-Danquah” and is from the Ashanti Region and not the Eastern Region as the President.
She has held a special place in the present political dispensation, getting promotions and key appointments, although she had failed to get the killers of investigative journalist, Ahmed Hussein Suale, who was gunned down at Madina, Accra in a manner akin to a contract killing.
The killers, were seen monitoring his movements in the area he frequents for days and eventually moved on him and shot him several times, while driving away to respond to an alleged emergency call about his daughter.
Same COP Addo-Danquah, had also failed to get the kidnappers of the three Takoradi girls and have them returned to their families, despite her bold statement on television that they had been found with assurances the police administration was working on their return.
Interestingly, her successor, Ken Yeboah, has also gone sleeping on the high-profile crimes, including the heinous murder of J.B. Danquah-Adu on February 9, 2016, at his Shiashie residence in Accra.
The appointment starts Monday, January 10.
Before she became the Director-General Police Professional and Standards Bureau (PPSB), she was Director General Welfare and member of POMAB, the highest decision body in the police outside the Police Council chaired by the Vice President.
During her tenure, the Welfare Directorate is alleged to have procured some buses from the police provident fund under some strange circumstances to be hired for revenue, but personnel are reported to be unhappy with the arrangement.
Maame Tiwaa was recruited into the Ghana Police Service on July 27, 1990, and has risen through the ranks by dint of hard work and her desire to achieve higher academic laurels.
When she passed out, she was first posted to the Police Hospital Accounts Section as a constable.
After the 18 months’ probation, she was promoted to the rank of a Sergeant in 1992 because she enlisted with a Diploma in Business Studies Accounting Option which she obtained at the Kumasi Polytechnic between 1988 and 1990.
Sergeant Tiwaa, enrolled with the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana in 1995 and passed the Level Two examinations successfully and was promoted to Chief Inspector. This granted her a direct entry to the Police College in October 1998.
In May 1999, out of a class of 48 (46 men and two women), she was adjudged the All Round Best Cadet and the Best Student in Humanities making her the second female to take that award at that time.
She also had the opportunity to go on a Peace Mission in Kosovo where she acted as the Logistics and Finance Officer for the Missing Persons Unit.
With her international peacekeeping operations experience in Kosovo under her staff belt, she was posted to the Police Headquarters Finance section.
She was granted a three-year study leave to pursue a programme in the UK with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
COP Yaa Tiwaa, who by this time had demonstrated a knack for excellence in the academic area, passed all her papers before the stipulated time and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2006.
Her ACCA qualifications certified her to practice as an accountant in several jurisdictions including the United Kingdom and Ghana.
Upon her return, she was attached to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to learn first-hand information on Public Sector Accounting. Therefore, after 10 months, she was assigned to head the Commercial Crime Unit (CCRU) of the CID of the Ghana Police Service for three years.
On November 6, 2013, when the then IGP, Mohammed Alhassan, established the Ghana Police Staff Command College (GPCSC) at Winneba, she was appointed the first female Commandant of the college before handing over to the current IGP, George Akuffo-Dampare.
COP Yaa Tiwaa, a second child among seven siblings, was born on August 19, 1969 at Konongo in the Asante Akyem district of the Ashanti Region.
Born to Kwame Adiya-Nimo and Nana Adwoa Agyekumwaa II, Queenmother of Banka, she started school at the Roman Catholic Primary and Middle Schools.
She had her secondary education at the Bompata Secondary before enrolling at the Kumasi Polytechnic.
She is married to Ofosu Addo-Danquah, a lecturer at the Department of French at the University of Cape Coast.
She has a daughter and two sons. DCOP Yaa Tiwaa who is a die-hard Catholic, worships with the St Peter’s Parish at Osu in Accra.
