# 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. The IGP is the head of the Police service and is responsible for the operational control and the administration of the Police Service.
The IGP is a member of the Police Council. The first Ghanaian Police Commissioner, E. R. T. Madjitey was appointed to head the service on October 9, 1958. The IGP is aided by two deputies as well as nine directors and a Chief Staff Officer.
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.
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. Asante-Apeatu was due to retire within a month. 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.

## 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.
| No. | Inspector General of Police | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Maclean, GeorgeCaptain George Maclean (1801–1847) Administrator | 1831 | 1844 | 12–13 years |
| 2 | Hill, CommanderCommander Hill Governor | 1844 | 1859 | 14–15 years |
| 3 | Glover, John HawleyCaptain John Hawley Glover (1829–1885) Commander | 1859 | 1873 | 13–14 years |
| 4 | Baker, A. W.Captain A. W. Baker Inspector-General | 1873 | 1876 | 2–3 years |
| 5 | Hay, James ShawSir Captain James Shaw Hay (1839–1924) Inspector-General | ? | ? | — |
| 6 | Grant, AlexanderAlexander Grant | ? | ? | — |
| 7 | Bryden, CaptainCaptain Bryden | ? | ? | — |
| 8 | McInnis, Edward BowaterLt. Colonel Edward Bowater McInnis (1847–1927) Inspector General of Constabulary | 1886 | 1890 | 3–4 years |
| 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. | Inspector General of Police | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Kitson, A. W.Major A. W. Kitson (1862–1938) | 1893 | 1910 | 16–17 years |
| 2 | Collins, E. V.E. V. Collins (?–1917) Inspector General of Police and Prisons | 1910 | 1917 † | 6–7 years |
| 3 | Bettington, Digby Rowland AlbemarleD. R. A. Bettington Inspector General of Police and Prisons | 1917 | 1924 | 6–7 years |
| 4 | Bamford, Harry William MorreyLt. Colonel H. W. M. Bamford | 27 August 1924 | 3 January 1938 | 13 years, 4 months |
| 5 | Nottingham, Eric CatoCaptain Eric C. Nottingham (1891–1972) | 8 October 1938 | 21 May 1944 | 5 years, 7 months |
| 6 | Ballantyne, Richard Waverley HeadCaptain R. W. H. Ballantyne (1896–1965) | 21 May 1944 | 18 August 1948 | 4 years, 2 months |
| 7 | Eckel, PercyCaptain Percy Eckel (1892–?) | 18 August 1948 | 25 May 1949 | 9 months |
| 8 | Collens, Matthew Kirkham NeedhamMajor M. K. N. Collens (?–1957) | 26 May 1949 | 31 December 1957 † | 8 years, 7 months |
| 9 | Alexander, Arthur LewinArthur Lewin Alexander (1907–1971) | 1 May 1958 | 8 October 1959 | 1 year, 5 months |
| 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 |
| 11 | Harlley, John Willie KofiJ. W. K. Harlley (1919–1982) | 1 January 1965 | 24 February 1966 | 1 year, 1 month |

### 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. | Inspector General of Police | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Harlley, John Willie KofiJ. W. K. Harlley (1919–1982) | 25 February 1966 | 3 September 1969 | 3 years, 6 months |
| 2 | Yakubu, Bawa AndaniBawa Andani Yakubu (1926–2002) | 23 September 1969 | 12 June 1971 | 1 year, 8 months |
| 3 | Ampaw, R. D.R. D. Ampaw | 14 June 1971 | 13 January 1972 | 6 months |
| 4 | Cobbina, John HenryJ. H. Cobbina | 13 January 1972 | 29 September 1974 | 2 years, 8 months |
| 5 | Ako, ErnestErnest Ako (1923–2021) | 30 September 1974 | 7 July 1978 | 3 years, 9 months |
| 6 | Kwakye, Benjamin Samuel KofiB. S. K. Kwakye | 17 July 1978 | 4 June 1979 | 10 months |
| 7 | Lamptey, Charles OdarteyC. O. Lamptey (1930–2022) | 5 June 1979 | 27 November 1979 | 5 months |
| 8 | Kyei, F. P.F. P. Kyei | 27 November 1979 | 6 October 1981 | 1 year, 10 months |
| 9 | Kugblenu, Raphael KpodoR. K. Kugblenu (?–2015) | 6 October 1981 | 9 March 1984 | 2 years, 5 months |
| 10 | Omane, S. S.S. S. Omane (?–2014) | 9 March 1984 | 12 June 1986 | 2 years, 3 months |
| 11 | Dewornu, Christopher KomlaC. K. Dewornu Acting IGP 12 Jun 86 - 31 Oct 86 | 1 November 1986 | 31 December 1989 | 3 years, 1 month |
| 12 | Kwofie, J. Y. AJ. Y. A Kwofie | 1 January 1990 | 30 September 1996 | 6 years, 8 months |
| 13 | Nanfuri, Peter TenganabangPeter Nanfuri (1942–2023) | 1 October 1996 | 21 January 2001 | 4 years, 3 months |
| 14 | Owusu-Poku, ErnestErnest Owusu-Poku | 22 January 2001 | 21 July 2001 | 5 months |
| 15 | Owusu-Nsiah, NanaNana Owusu-Nsiah | 22 July 2001 | 23 March 2005 | 3 years, 8 months |
| 16 | Acheampong, Patrick KwatengPatrick Kwateng Acheampong | 25 March 2005 | 28 January 2009 | 3 years, 10 months |
| 17 | Mills-Robertson, ElizabethElizabeth Mills-Robertson Acting IGP | 28 January 2009 | 15 May 2009 | 3 months |
| 18 | Quaye, Paul TawiahPaul Tawiah Quaye | 16 May 2009 | 1 February 2013 | 3 years, 8 months |
| 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 |
| 20 | Kudalor, JohnJohn Kudalor Acting IGP 9 Nov 2015 to 18 Feb 2016 | 19 February 2016 | 25 January 2017 | 1 year, 1 month |
| 21 | Asante-Apeatu, DavidDavid Asante-Apeatu | 25 January 2017 | 14 August 2019 | 2 years, 5 months |
| 22 | Oppong-Boanuh, JamesJames Oppong-Boanuh | 9 October 2019 | 1 August 2021 | 1 year, 9 months |
| 23 | Dampare, George AkuffoGeorge Akuffo Dampare | 8 October 2021 | 13 March 2025 | 3 years, 5 months |
| 24 | Yohunu, Christian TettehChristian Tetteh Yohunu | 13 March 2025 | | 2 days |