Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare
A lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Social Work at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Jones Opoku-Ware, has stated that despite his flaws, the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, did remarkable work.
He noted that, based on his track record and the way he positioned the Ghana Police Service (GPS), it would have been best to allow him to serve his final years. However, he acknowledged that the new administration replaced him, possibly for reasons that are not publicly known.
Dr. Opoku-Ware, who is also a criminologist, said Dampare’s removal was not surprising but expressed disappointment that he was not retained. He argued that if the police service were being run in a truly professional manner, no one could deny the impact of Dr. Dampare’s work over the past three to four years.
He further explained that while it is within the president’s constitutional right to appoint and remove the IGP, the focus should be on building strong institutions rather than making changes based purely on political considerations.
“My point is that we are building a nation, an institution, and for me, for any society to progress, we need strong institutions. We have to strengthen and build our institutions. You don’t weaken them through politicking, simply claiming that you have the right to make changes—because not everything we have the right to do is beneficial,” he stated.
He added, “I will never fault the president for removing Dampare from his position. I believe it is the president’s right to do so. However, if I had to decide who to work with, my priority would be based on track record and capacity to perform. Loyalty is commonly emphasized in security services, which is understandable given the nature of the job.
But I don’t think someone like Akuffo Dampare, given the level of professionalism he has demonstrated over the years, would pose any security risk to the president while serving as IGP.”