Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) is the most senior Police Officer in Ghana. The IGP is appointed by the president of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State.^[1] The IGP is the head of the Police service and is responsible for the operational control and the administration of the Police Service.^[2]

The IGP is a member of the Police Council.^[3] The first Ghanaian Police Commissioner, E. R. T. Madjitey was appointed to head the service on October 9, 1958.^[4] The IGP is aided by two deputies as well as nine directors and a Chief Staff Officer.^[5]

Following the retirement of B. A. Yakubu as the head of the Police service, the Progress Party government of Kofi Abrefa Busia appointed R. D. Ampaw, a lawyer civil servant as his successor.^[6]

On 22 July 2019, Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana asked David Asante-Apeatu to proceed on leave as the IGP. His deputy, James Oppong-Boanuh was asked to act as IGP until a substantive appointment was made.^[7] Asante-Apeatu was due to retire within a month.^[8] In August 2021 COP James Oppong-Boanuh was asked to also proceed on leave to make way for the new acting IGP who was later confirmed as the current IGP George Akuffo Dampare.^[9][10]

Inspectors General of Police of the Ghana Police Service

Heads of policing in the Gold Coast (1831–1893)

The following are the officials in charge of the organisation which eventually became the Ghana Police Service.^[11]

No.	Portrait	Inspector General of Police	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Maclean, GeorgeCaptain George Maclean (1801–1847) Administrator	1831	1844	12–13 years	[11]
2		Hill, CommanderCommander Hill Governor	1844	1859	14–15 years	[11]
3		Glover, John HawleyCaptain John Hawley Glover (1829–1885) Commander	1859	1873	13–14 years	[11]
4		Baker, A. W.Captain A. W. Baker Inspector-General	1873	1876	2–3 years	[11]
5		Hay, James ShawSir Captain James Shaw Hay (1839–1924) Inspector-General	?	?	—	[11]
6		Grant, AlexanderAlexander Grant	?	?	—	[11]
7		Bryden, CaptainCaptain Bryden	?	?	—	[11]
8		McInnis, Edward BowaterLt. Colonel Edward Bowater McInnis (1847–1927) Inspector General of Constabulary	1886	1890	3–4 years	[11]
9		Griffith, William BrandfordWilliam Brandford Griffith (1824–1897) Governor of the Gold Coast	1891	1893	1–2 years

Commissioner of Police (1893 - 1966)

The head of the Gold Coast Constabulary was designated as the Commissioner of Police. This continued until the coup d'état on 24 February 1966 led to the overthrow of the Nkrumah government and the start of military rule under the National Liberation Council.

No.	Portrait	Inspector General of Police	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Kitson, A. W.Major A. W. Kitson (1862–1938)	1893	1910	16–17 years	[11]
2		Collins, E. V.E. V. Collins (?–1917) Inspector General of Police and Prisons	1910	1917 †	6–7 years	[11][12]
3		Bettington, Digby Rowland AlbemarleD. R. A. Bettington Inspector General of Police and Prisons	1917	1924	6–7 years	[11][12]
4		Bamford, Harry William MorreyLt. Colonel H. W. M. Bamford	27 August 1924	3 January 1938	13 years, 4 months	[13][11]
5		Nottingham, Eric CatoCaptain Eric C. Nottingham (1891–1972)	8 October 1938	21 May 1944	5 years, 7 months	[13][11]
6		Ballantyne, Richard Waverley HeadCaptain R. W. H. Ballantyne (1896–1965)	21 May 1944	18 August 1948	4 years, 2 months	[13]
7		Eckel, PercyCaptain Percy Eckel (1892–?)	18 August 1948	25 May 1949	9 months	[13]
8		Collens, Matthew Kirkham NeedhamMajor M. K. N. Collens (?–1957)	26 May 1949	31 December 1957 †	8 years, 7 months	[13]
9		Alexander, Arthur LewinArthur Lewin Alexander (1907–1971)	1 May 1958	8 October 1959	1 year, 5 months	[13]
10		Madjitey, Erasmus Ransford TawiahE. R. T. Madjitey (1920–1996) First native Ghanaian Commissioner of Police	9 October 1959	8 January 1964	4 years, 2 months	[13]
11		Harlley, John Willie KofiJ. W. K. Harlley (1919–1982)	1 January 1965	24 February 1966	1 year, 1 month	[13]

Inspector General of Police (1966 onwards)

Since 1966, the designation of the most senior police officer has been changed from Commissioner of Police to Inspector General of Police.

No.	Portrait	Inspector General of Police	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Harlley, John Willie KofiJ. W. K. Harlley (1919–1982)	25 February 1966	3 September 1969	3 years, 6 months	[11][13]
2		Yakubu, Bawa AndaniBawa Andani Yakubu (1926–2002)	23 September 1969	12 June 1971	1 year, 8 months	[14][13]
3		Ampaw, R. D.R. D. Ampaw	14 June 1971	13 January 1972	6 months	[6]
4		Cobbina, John HenryJ. H. Cobbina	13 January 1972	29 September 1974	2 years, 8 months	[11]
5		Ako, ErnestErnest Ako (1923–2021)	30 September 1974	7 July 1978	3 years, 9 months	[13]
6		Kwakye, Benjamin Samuel KofiB. S. K. Kwakye	17 July 1978	4 June 1979	10 months	[15][13]
7		Lamptey, Charles OdarteyC. O. Lamptey (1930–2022)	5 June 1979	27 November 1979	5 months	[16]
8		Kyei, F. P.F. P. Kyei	27 November 1979	6 October 1981	1 year, 10 months	[15]
9		Kugblenu, Raphael KpodoR. K. Kugblenu (?–2015)	6 October 1981	9 March 1984	2 years, 5 months	[17]
10		Omane, S. S.S. S. Omane (?–2014)	9 March 1984	12 June 1986	2 years, 3 months	[17]
11		Dewornu, Christopher KomlaC. K. Dewornu Acting IGP 12 Jun 86 - 31 Oct 86	1 November 1986	31 December 1989	3 years, 1 month	[13]
12		Kwofie, J. Y. AJ. Y. A Kwofie	1 January 1990	30 September 1996	6 years, 8 months	[13]
13		Nanfuri, Peter TenganabangPeter Nanfuri (1942–2023)	1 October 1996	21 January 2001	4 years, 3 months	[13]
14		Owusu-Poku, ErnestErnest Owusu-Poku	22 January 2001	21 July 2001	5 months	[18]
15		Owusu-Nsiah, NanaNana Owusu-Nsiah	22 July 2001	23 March 2005	3 years, 8 months	[13]
16		Acheampong, Patrick KwatengPatrick Kwateng Acheampong	25 March 2005	28 January 2009	3 years, 10 months	[19]
17		Mills-Robertson, ElizabethElizabeth Mills-Robertson Acting IGP	28 January 2009	15 May 2009	3 months	[13]
18		Quaye, Paul TawiahPaul Tawiah Quaye	16 May 2009	1 February 2013	3 years, 8 months	[20]
19		Alhassan, Mohammed AhmedMohammed Ahmed Alhassan Acting IGP 5 Feb 2013 to 6 May 2013	7 May 2013	9 November 2015	2 years, 9 months	[21][22]
20		Kudalor, JohnJohn Kudalor Acting IGP 9 Nov 2015 to 18 Feb 2016	19 February 2016	25 January 2017	1 year, 1 month	[23][24][25]
21		Asante-Apeatu, DavidDavid Asante-Apeatu	25 January 2017	14 August 2019	2 years, 5 months	[7][25][26][27][28]
22		Oppong-Boanuh, JamesJames Oppong-Boanuh	9 October 2019	1 August 2021	1 year, 9 months	[29][30]
23		Dampare, George AkuffoGeorge Akuffo Dampare	8 October 2021	13 March 2025	3 years, 5 months	[31][32]
24		Yohunu, Christian TettehChristian Tetteh Yohunu	13 March 2025		137 days	[33]