Exclusive: Meet all the IGPs of the Ghana Police Service (from 1966 to 2021).

This article seeks to provide a historical comprehensive overview of all the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Ghana Police Service from 1966 to 2021. 

Previously, the name of this rank was Commissioner of Police.

The core mandatory responsibility of IGP is to ensure operational control and administration of all managerial activities in relation to Maintenance of Law and Order in the country. IGP is the most Senior Police Officer in Ghana.

In Ghana, the First Inspector General of Police was John Willie Kofi Harlley.

He was the most Senior Police who led in the overthrow of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1966. Apart from his high ranking position he held, he also served as Ghana’s 9th Minisiter of Interior (from 1966 to 1969) and 10th Minisiter for Foreign Affairs (from 1967 to 1969).

He was an old student of Accra Academy.

2. Bawa Andani Yakubu

He was Guishie-Naa or King of Guishie (Gushegu is located in the Northern Region of Ghana) and Second IGP of Ghana from 1969 to 1971.

He was also a member of the National Liberation Council (NLC) from 1966 to 1969. In that same year, he was honoured a Member of the Order of the Volta.

3. R. D Ampaw

He was a legal practitioner, a Civil Servant and the third IGP of Ghana from June 14, 1971 to January 13, 1972.

4. John Henry Cobbina

He was the First Police Commander of the Defunct Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. Cobbina also served as the Commissioner for Interior and a Member of the National Redemption Council. He was the IGP of Ghana from January 13, 1972 to September 29, 1974.

He currently bears the name of the street on which Takoradi Central Police Station is located.

5. Ernest Ako

He was a Minisiter of Interior, a Police Officer and an Inspector General of Police from September 30, 1974 to July 17, 1978.

6. Benjamin Samuel Kofi Kwakye

Kwakye served as an Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service from July 17, 1978 to June 4, 1979.

7. C.O Lamptey

He served as an IGP of the Ghana Police Service from June 5, 1979 to November 27, 1979. His service to the Ghanaian Security arena was a short one.

8. F.P Kyei

Kyei was an Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service from November 27, 1979 to October 6, 1981.

He was an alumnus of the University of Ghana, Legon.

9. Raphael Kpodo Kugblenu

Raphael served as an IGP of Ghana from June 14, 1971 to January 13, 1972.

10. S.S Omane

He served as an Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service from March 9, 1984 time June 12, 1986.

11. Christopher Komla Dewornu

Prior to his appointment as an IGP in November, he served as an Acting IGP of the Ghana Police Service from June 12, 1986 to October 31, 1986.

12. J.Y.A Kwofie (First IGP of the Fourth Republic of Ghana)

Kwofie served as an IGP of the Ghana Police Service from January 1, 1990 to September 30, 1996.

13. Peter Tengababeng Nanfuri

He served as the IGP of the Ghana Police Service from October 1, 1996 to January 21, 2001. He is the second IGP of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

Prior to that, he served as the Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

Currently, Nanfuri is the 4th Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area.

14. Ernest Owusu-Poku

Owusu-Poku served as IGP of the Ghana Police Service from January 22, 2001 to July 21, 2001. Prior to that, he was the Director of Passports at the Ghana Passports Office.

He also served as the Secretary to the Justice Archer Commission into Police Affairs from 1997 to 1997.

15. Nana Owusu-Nsiah

He served as an Ambassador to Israel and an IGP of the Ghana Police Service (from July 22, 2001 to March 23, 2005 under the leadership of John Agyekum Kufuor.

16. Patrick Kwateng Acheampong

Acheampong served as a Regional Police Commander in the Northern and Ashanti Regions of Ghana (from 1992 to 1996) and Deputy Commissioner (administrative affairs) at the National Police Headquarters, Accra, Ghana. He is a barrister, and initially worked as a Prosecutor at the Law Courts in Accra, Ghana in 1976.

Patrick was an Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service from March 25, 2005 to January 28, 2009.

17. Elizabeth Mills-Robertson

She currently reigns as the first and only woman to have been appointed as an Acting Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service.

She excellently served in that capacity from January 28, 2009 to May 15, 2009.

18. Paul Tawiah Quaye

He served as an IGP of the Ghana Police Service from May 16, 2009 to February 5, 2013.

19. Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan

Prior to his appointment as an IGP of the Ghana Police Service, Alhassan served as Police Commissioner for the United Nations Mission in Liberia.

He is the Commanding Officer of the Ghana Police Service.

20. John Kudalor

Kudalor served as an Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service from 2016 to 2017 under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama.

21. David Asante-Apeatu

He served as an Inspector of Factories, Shops and Offices by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare from 1985 to 1988.

He further served as the Director General for Information Communication Technology at the Police Headquarters, Accra, Ghana and Head of the Marine Police.

He is a forensic specialist and a renowned police officer.

Asante-Apeatu served as an IGP of the Ghana Police Service from 2017 to 2019 under the leadership of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

22. James Oppong-Boanuh

Before he was appointed as an IGP of the Ghana Police Service in October 2019, he served in the following capacities: Chief Staff Officer to the Inspector General of Police, Director-General of Welfare, Director-General of Human Resources, Regional Commander, Director-General of Legal and Prosecutions, Director-General of Administration and Deputy Inspector General of Police.

He is an alumnus of University of Ghana, and an old student of Dormaa Secondary School.

He is a professional lawyer.

James Oppong-Boanuh is happily married, and blessed with three children.

23. Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

He currently reigns as the youngest IGP of the Ghana Police Service in the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

He is also a holder of PhD in Finance, and reliable reports show that he became a Chartered Accountant at the age of 25.

Prior to his appointment as an Acting IGP of the Ghana Police Service, he held the following positions: Director General (Operations), Accra Regional Police Commander, Commandant of the Police Command and Staff, Director General (ICT) and Director General (Welfare)