COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno Replaces Dr. George Akuffo Dampare As IGP. Is The Judiciary Becoming The 277th Constituency?

Some Articles in Ghana's 1992 Constitution appear to be under attack. The other day, it was Article 97 of the Constitution that became under attack when an egocentric exuberance display by a member of the legislature induced the fastest run ever to beg the Chief Justice, and by extension the Judiciary to sign on to a ‘wrestling’ bout with the Speaker of Parliament. That action nearly gave the Constitution a Heart Attack, especially if the Speaker had not walked away maturely to keep the many respected years of the office of the Speaker and that of the Chief Justice intact.

Today, Article 91 and 202 of the same Constitution are under attack by some individuals and groups looking forward to giving the same Constitution an unnecessary headache, and to subtly invite the office of the President, and by extension the Executive arm of Government to a ‘boxing’ match with the Office of the Chief Justice. All in a bid to question the appointing powers of the President relative to the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Will tomorrow be an infliction of Stroke to the Constitution, where the Judiciary will suffer some form of paralysis owing to some professional fighting fixers’ quest to question or undermine the office of the Chief Justice, and by extension the Judicial arm of Government? Where then will they run to?

One is then tempted to ask if the Constitution is sick? Or is it just some individuals and groups who have made it a selfish profiting trade to ‘blackmail’ or ‘intimidate’ a healthy Constitution to force it and the citizenry into believing it is chronically sick?

Maybe, those buzzing our ears in their newly found voices must organize an outdooring ceremony for their reincarnated voices birthed from an 8-year gestation period of cowardice towards the ‘Silencer-In-Chief’.

The People of Ghana overwhelmingly voted for the President to protect them, with varying reasons informing their choice. The President has a duty to protect in earnest the people of Ghana to the fullest, including the police themselves, and Dr. George Akuffo Dampare was the head of a fraction of the security apparatus of the nation as IGP. He was not immune to sacking no matter the romance he has or had with individuals, groups, or the public attention and sympathy he garnered.

If per some security briefing the president received which many of us, including those calling for Dr. George Akuffo Dampare not to have been changed are not privy to, the president felt Ghana is better off and safer under a different IGP, what is the euphoria about this? Was he not appointed, and can he not be changed?

Those disappointed with the removal of Dr. Dampare as IGP must coil back and reflect on the many achievements he chalked during his reign as the IGP and celebrate him, for he has done his part, and a new skill set and experience is required to leap Ghana police from where Dampare laid the foundation to, to another level within the resetting of Ghana agenda. Dampare probably knew his weaknesses and the possibility of his replacement.

An IGP’s position from what we have observed and experienced over the years in Ghana, especially during Peter Nanfuri's reign between 1996 and 2001, requires a top notch experienced administrative and operationally skilled police officer to be successful like Nanfuri did, especially in this era of Cyber and organized crimes. Dr. Dampare seemed to have both attributes. However, it was also clear to some extent that he did not get the full support of his top ranked officers.

There were many instances of trust issues where some of the higher ranked officers wished he was sacked. Some went to the extent of fiercely criticizing and complaining about his leadership style. A leaked tape purporting to be a plan being hatched by some of these officers to have him removed came to light in 2023. Dampare had to appear before the committee probing the leaked tape on September 12, 2023. Some alleged that he planned the meeting and recorded it at the time of sensing he was going to be removed from his position as IGP by the former president, Nana Akuffo Addo. Others alleged that he got the wind of his possible removal and began recording some meetings he suspected were geared toward that move.

In his submissions during questioning by the committee members probing the leaked tape, it was clear that the top hierarchy of the police service was not peaceful at all and summarily not happy a bit, as that spectacle then depicted a deep crack in the police hierarchy. The cohesion needed to mend that crack appeared to be in a frozen hopeful future to be discovered. Can we now say the answer to the cohesion has now been discovered by H.E John Dramani Mahama, and it is the appointment of the new IGP Tetteh Yohuno? Did the former President Nana Akuffo Addo discover it long ago but did not have the political will to melt it, and decided to partially save the situation temporarily by making the same COP Tetteh Yohuno a Deputy IGP to be responsible for operations?

No matter the opinions of many about him, Dampare did an excellent job with making the police visible almost everywhere. He believed in policing with the people and made sure households, market women, drivers, businesses, churches, mosques knew him and felt his existence. He engaged with the press much better than any IGP to have served. He was a household name after Peter Nanfuri.

Sadly, in doing that his police men and women did not feel equal attention given to them. Dampare may have noticed that late and with the pressure of by-elections and general elections on his mind, delegation of duties amidst mistrust among his peers might have become a threat to his success. District and Regional Police Commanders were not visible. Dampare was everywhere and the cameras were everywhere with him. Even the Public Relations functions were seen to be being done by Dampare himself in disguise until some few months before the general elections that the PR department of the police stepped up. Was it sabotage or it was the fear of Dampare’s wrought by these commanders and officers?

Some killings of police men and women by criminals and many cases, some being high profile and political, remained unresolved, not investigated, or if investigated were not reported to the public or seen to have landed on the desk of the Attorney General. As to whether Dampare was pressured to not take some actions by his appointing authority and the then NPP party in power, Dampare will be the best person to tell Ghanaians, and be ready to provide tangible reasons why he succumbed if it were the case. A chronology of all that in a book will be a gift to Ghana by him.

With all the structures the former IGP put in place to enhance policing, especially in the digital arena, public relations and the Community-Police relationship anchored, which is by far the best in Ghana policing I believe, the operations part however exposed some deficit.

The former president Nana Akuffo Addo may have observed Dampare's operational deficit and seem to have been vindicated for thinking it was wise to appoint a Deputy IGP responsible for operations to assist in arresting that deficit in policing operations then lacking in Dampare’s reign. Nana Akuffo Addo will appoint COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno to seal that leakage. A section of the public however saw it as an election rigging technique, especially when the stakes were high to the point a simple cough to clear one's throat sent many interpretations and signals. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters made a 'mountain' of theories around the deputy IGP appointment then. Can we now also propound the idea that the NDC tricked the National Patriotic Party (NPP) government, especially former Nana Akuffo Addo to appoint then COP Tetteh Yohuno as Deputy IGP to be their eyes behind the then IGP Dampare ahead of the 2024 general elections, and was their shadow IGP? Can we say Dr. Bawumia would have appointed COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno as his IGP if he had won the 2024 elections and became the president of Ghana?

Those that are directly impacted by the decision of President Mahama to appoint COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno by virtue of their working relationship built with Dr. Dampare are not even complaining and protesting, for they understand that the authority to appoint a new IGP lies in the bosom of a sitting president in consultation with the Council of State. Those that are aggrieved by the sacking of Dampare and have began shuttling the Court premises with their dreams and nightmares written on paper possibly being their reasons, must respectfully find their answers in the reasoning of the former president Nana Akuffo Addo to appoint COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno then as Deputy IGP responsible for operations.

After all, Dampare’s successor is one who has been appointed by two presidents, former president Nana Akuffo Addo and now President John Mahama as Deputy IGP responsible for operations and IGP respectively. This means the new IGP stood tall in the eyes of the previous government and continues to stand tall in the current government's estimation, based on national security briefing that the ordinary citizenry is not privy to, probably, and their interaction with the new IGP.

President Mahama prior to appointing the new IGP may have tried to test and give Dr. Dampare the opportunity to prove him wrong by tasking him recently to investigate and put in place an investigative body in the Police service with some terms of reference, which included to investigate killings during past and recent elections. An opportunity for Dampare to at least prove his continuous worth, even if it requires assembling a Team to kick start the investigations or review what is already done and give it a measurable focus and align it to the president’s resetting Ghana agenda. But it appears he did not live up to the expected preliminary expectation set by the President, hence the decision to remove him.

Could it also be that his response to the president's request and by extension the people of Ghana's request, in terms of preliminary reports or methodology presented to the president did not sit well with H. E. John Dramani Mahama who is hungry to reset Ghana in a spate Dampare could not match?

So those individuals and some of the so called CSOs, with many to be birthed, who are now developing spectacular muscular athletic feet that is capable of running unimaginable distances from their desks to the Supreme Court with the slightest tickling, to court some continuous relevance in the public space, must immediately refine their strategies. Maybe, it is about time they rent a space in the Court premises to situate their offices or sleeping place for easy Supreme Court reach, for many sweeping changes to the way of doing things is about to fan their faces with the loudest sound of wind they never have seen and heard before in this era of resetting Ghana that we are all keenly looking forward to seeing succeed.

The Supreme Court must be allowed to breathe a little and not become a notorious abode for injunctions, Stay of executions and unwarranted visits to waste the precious time of the Justices. They have been pressured enough to make some of their judgements look bad in the sight of the citizenry, though grounded in law.

The Courts, especially the Supreme Court may please consider establishing a desk to be receiving and throwing out some of these frivolous requests to a Court of its caliber. Else, any nightmare or dream those who are struggling to maintain their relevance in this current dynamic and result oriented dispensation had in their sleep may become what they put on paper to submit to the Courts.

The Supreme Court and the Judiciary must not be made to be seen as if it is the 277th constituency in Ghana, where the Chief Justice is their MP to receive all forms of complaints and plea. The Judiciary's noble and anchored role as an Arm of Government must be respected and protected.

CSOs with the great job they have been doing over the years, including the well known ones in Ghana, must be careful and mindful not to assume roles of 'mini dictators' and 'nuisance' to the Arms of Government and begin courting dissatisfaction from the citizenry towards them.

The Constitution is still alive and not dead. It cannot be dead. It may be sick because of some parts of it, and that is where it needs all of us, the citizenry to help in curing it. We must however be extremely cautious not to in the process of curing some few parts end up killing many healthy parts. It is in that spirit that after many years of calls to amend the Constitution from individuals, groups, and organizations, including CSOs, the current government led by a president with a political will, constituted the Constitutional Review Committee.

Therefore those who feel the power bestowed to the president to appoint need a review must immediately reach out to the Constitutional Review Committee to present their proposals and spare the airwaves with interview bates seeking to be seen and heard at all cost. They must also spare the Supreme Court with unnecessary calls on the Apex Court to sit on their ‘dreams, and ‘nightmares’ in pursuit of relevance.

COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno is an accomplished police officer. The happiness that greeted his elevation to the IGP status amongst his peers and subordinates must be the torch on his mind to brighten the path of motivation and inclusiveness for all policemen and women. This way, he will be counting an infinite dedicated footsteps on that path from his men and women, assured of their families welfare and their safety for them to radiate the same to all communities in Ghana.

Former President Akuffo Addo in July 2024 addressing the audience at the commissioning of a 320 homes for personnel of Ghana police had this to say about the new IGP then.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the long-serving and respected law enforcement officer, Commissioner of Police Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno on this promotion to the office of Deputy Commissioner of Police with the responsibility for operations”

He continued by saying, “ I have no doubt that, as in the past, Deputy Yohuno will be a valuable team player and will contribute fully to the success of an effective and efficient Police service".

President John Dramani Mahama had this to say to the new IGP now, “As you take on this immense responsibility, know that you have the full support of myself and my administration, and the people of Ghana”.

He continued, “We trust in your ability to build a police service that upholds Justice, respect, human dignity and maintains peace across the length and breadth of our country”.

President Mahama can tap into the strengths of the former IGP Dampare to project Ghana internationally by either appointing him as an Ambassador of Ghana to any country in the world that he, president Mahama believes the former IGP’s expertise will immensely benefit Ghana, for he is a bank of many excellent ideas, or to represent Ghana in a capacity that may avail itself at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), or the African Union (AU).

Domestically, Ghana has had a dormant National Committee for Civic Education (NCCE) since Ms. Charlotte Osei left for the EC appointment. Dr. Dampare can revive that office to advance democracy and elections. He can replace one of the Electoral Commissioners and will be a fine Electoral Commissioner to streamline and cleanse the Electoral Commision.

As Ghanaians join hands in congratulating the new IGP Tetteh Yohuno, they are indirectly telling him it is a must to deliver. The expectations are very high, especially on the part of the men and women in the Police service. For the communities' part, the whisper I want to believe is for him to build on where former IGP Dampare left off.

I rest my PEN.
Mustapha Alhassan
Pennsylvania, USA.