The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong yesterday waded into the messy affair involving axed National Security Minister Francis Poku in a manner that left the jaws of many Ghanaians dropping. In the end, many could guess the real motive behind the heavy Police presence at Francis Poku`s residence last Wednesday and conjecture that it is probably due to bad blood between the IGP and Francis Poku; and the desire of the former to settle scores with the former Security Minister. The theatre was Accra-based PEACE FM`s Kokrokoo Morning Show hosted by Kwami Sefa-Kayi and the protagonist was the IGP who started off quite well answering questions about why there was Police presence at Francis Poku`s residence last Wednesday but ended up betraying the fact that there is deep seated acrimony between he and Francis Poku. The IGP after a few questions was asked by Kwami Sefa-Kayi as to whether or not he was liked by Mr. Poku. His response was a terse `We came to do government work and not to check whether some one likes the other or not.`(emphasis ours) Asked to respond to commentary that he (IGP) does not also like Francis Poku, the IGP gave a very indifferent answer and waded into a terrain that shocked most listeners. He went on to tell Sefa-Kayi that it is Francis Poku who does not like him (IGP) and that when he (Sefa Kayi) sees Francis Poku; he should tell him that the fact that he dislikes him (IGP) is his (Poku`s) problem. The IGP, who had obviously been irked by earlier commentary on the programme in relation to the Francis Poku saga by Kwesi Pratt Jnr; clearly lost his cool and could be audibly heard fuming and almost choking in an emotional manner. He also poked Kwesi Pratt. Jnr to the effect that when he claims that the Police detachment that stormed Francis Poku`s residence did not even consider the fact that there was a sick person at the residence; he should also appreciate that when Francis Poku was moving against him, he did not consider his children. The IGP also asked for the events between Francis Poku and President Kufuor at the latter`s residence last Saturday to be better appreciated. He dared a forum to be held at which Francis Poku would be present to react to the issues that have surrounded the so-called debriefing session that went awry and proceeded to accuse Francis Poku of being behind intelligence reports that he (IGP) and Police Commissioner Adu Gyimah had been to the private residence of former President Jerry John Rawlings at Adjirigano, Accra. At a point during the interview, the almost choking and emotionally disturbed IGP told Kwami Sefa-Kayi that he was getting angry and requested that the interview be deferred to another day and went off the phone. The comportment of the IGP on PEACE FM yesterday was at variance with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Joseph Boakye Danquah, who also appeared on the same programme and in a calm but firm and resolute manner explained away the issues in a manner that endeared him to listeners. Though GO has long known that there`s love lost between Francis Poku and the IGP, the extent as displayed by the latter yesterday betrays a `dog-eat-dog` culture within the national security apparatus; with the key players seeking to outdo each other. One of the causes of the fallout between the IGP and Francis Poku was that the IGP always suspected Francis Poku of working for former Police CID Boss David Asante Appeatu who is now with Interpol, France or ACP Kofi Boakye to replace him. This led to frosty relations between the IGP and the two Police officers, eventually culminating in Kofi Boakye`s problems and Appeatu`s realisation that when an irresistible force meets an immovable force anything can happen, thus his opting for the line of least resistance by moving to Interpol. Source: The Ghanaian Observer