WAANSA Ghana salutes former IGP Dampare for Police transformation

The West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA Ghana) on Monday extended its warm felicitation to former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

Dr. Dampare served as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) from August 1st, 2021, until March 13, 2025, when he was replaced by Commissioner of Police (COP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno.

In a statement signed by Mr. Ken Kinney, WAANSA Ghana President, he acknowledged the contributions Dr. Dampare touted as the youngest Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to be appointed in the Fourth Republic of Ghana and the eighth youngest since Ghana gained independence in 1957.

He was appointed as the acting Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service by President Nana Akufo-Addo on July 21st, 2021, effective August 1st, 2021, taking over from James Oppong-Boanuh, who had been serving since October 2019.

Dr. Dampare has been instrumental in implementing key policing reforms during his tenure.

WAANSA Ghana noted that it would count on the former IGP’s expertise towards the promotion of peace and security not only in Ghana but also within the West Africa sub-region.

WAANSA Ghana also encouraged the former IGP to support and join the advocacy for the passage of the National Small Arms Bill 2023 into law.

The CSOs affiliated with WAANSA Ghana are the West Africa Network of Journalists for Security and Development, the Nurture Nature Foundation, the Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD Ghana), the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), and the Development Institute.

Others are the Security Warehouse, the Ashanti Regional Association of Blacksmiths, the West Africa Lead, the Centre for Rural Women in Peace, Security, and Development, the Greater Accra Youth Network, BADEC, Youth for Peace and Security in Africa, and the Nutifafa Foundation.

The rest are the Care-Love Charity Foundation, the Orphans and Widows Association, the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, the West Africa Centre for Violent Extremism, and the Association of Ghanaian Women and Child Welfare.

Meanwhile, to address the proliferation of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition in Ghana and the ECOWAS sub-region, Ghana has commenced the implementation of interventions to address the illicit trafficking of small arms, light weapons, and improvised explosive devices within the prevailing context of the increasingly volatile security situation in the Sahel and neighbouring countries under the SALIENT Project.

The Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) Fund is a United Nations funding facility, located within the Peacebuilding Fund, which is dedicated to supporting states to tackle armed violence and illicit small arms and light weapons as part of a comprehensive approach to sustainable security and development.

SALIENT responds to the multi-faceted nature of the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons and addresses the root causes of armed violence.

In Ghana, the project is being implemented under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator, by UN Agencies (UNDP and UNODC) working in collaboration with the National Commission for Small Arms, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), and the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA)-Ghana to integrate small arms control into development frameworks.

WAANSA-Ghana has been given an exclusive role under the SALIENT Fund Project to lead in advocacy for urgent legal reforms on small arms in Ghana Law.