1. E.R.T. Madjitey (1958-1964) \u2013 The Pioneer<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, he was Ghana\u2019s first indigenous IGP after independence, E.R.T. Madjitey was instrumental in laying the foundation for modern policing. His tenure focused on transitioning the police force from colonial rule to serving an independent nation, emphasizing professionalism and discipline. He advocated for local recruitment and training to replace expatriate officers. He was dismissed by Nkrumah in 1964 due to political differences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. J.W.K. Harley (1964-1969) \u2013 The Law-and-Order Enforcer<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nHarley was appointed by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He was Ghana\u2019s second IGP after independence. His time as IGP coincided with Ghana\u2019s early post-independence challenges, including political upheavals. He played a crucial role in countering opposition demonstrations and maintaining national security during the First Republic. He was removed after the overthrow of Nkrumah in 1966 but continued serving in a different capacity until 1969. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Bawa Andani Yakubu (1969-1971) \u2013 The Reformist<\/strong>
Bawa Andani Yakubu was Appointed IGP by Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa. He introduced structural changes within the force, particularly in community policing. He was keen on intelligence-led policing to enhance crime prevention. Under his leadership, the force improved training and increased its presence in rural areas. He Left office after Busia\u2019s government was overthrown in 1972. <\/p>\n\n\n\n4. J.H. Cobbina (1971-1972) \u2013 The Short-Lived Legacy<\/strong>
Cobbina was crucial in maintaining police morale and professionalism during political transitions. He was appointed by Kofi Abrefa Busia. He emphasized stricter recruitment processes to eliminate political influence in police appointments. He was ousted following the coup that brought Acheampong to power in 1972. <\/p>\n\n\n\n5. I.K. Acheampong (1972-1974) \u2013 The Stability Seeker<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nNot to be confused with the military leader of the same name, Acheampong\u2019s tenure was during a period of political instability. He sought to keep the police neutral and professional amidst growing military influence in governance. He retired in 1974. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Ernest Ako (1974-1978) \u2013 The Crime-Fighter<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by General I.K. Acheampong, Ako\u2019s leadership focused on crime reduction, particularly tackling robbery and smuggling, which were on the rise at the time. He oversaw the formation of anti-robbery squads. He was removed in 1978 after the palace coup against Acheampong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. C.O. Lamptey (1978-1979) \u2013 The Transitional Leader<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by General F.W.K. Akuffo, He led the service during a politically sensitive time, ensuring stability and neutrality in law enforcement during the transition to civilian rule. He was removed after Rawlings’ June 4 coup in 1979. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. R.K. Agyeman (1979-1981) \u2013 The Intelligence Strategist<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by Dr. Hilla Limann. He prioritized intelligence-driven policing, enhancing surveillance and investigative techniques to counter political crimes and organized criminal activities. <\/strong>He was <\/strong>dismissed after Rawlings\u2019 31st December coup in 1981.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n9. P.K.K. Nwokolo (1981-1984) \u2013 The Crisis Manager<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by:<\/strong> Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.
Nwokolo faced challenges during Ghana\u2019s early revolutionary years. His focus was on restructuring the force to align with the changing political landscape. He played a role in reducing police corruption by implementing internal monitoring systems. He retired in 1984. <\/p>\n\n\n\n10. C.K. Dewornu (1984-1990) \u2013 The Force Modernizer<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nC.K. Dewornu was the second IGP Appointee of Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings. He initiated modernization efforts, including upgrading police training and improving logistics. He facilitated the acquisition of better vehicles and communication equipment for patrol duties. He retired in 1990. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
11. J.Y. Ayertey (1990-1996) \u2013 The Community Policing Advocate<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, Ayertey strengthened police-public relationships, emphasizing community policing as a means to curb crime. His tenure saw the expansion of police presence in underserved communities. <\/strong>He retired in 1996. <\/p>\n\n\n\n12. P.K. Andoh (1996-2001) \u2013 The Professionalism Champion<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nP.K. Andoh was the last IGP Appointee of <\/strong>Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings. He worked on improving police ethics and professionalism, instituting policies to curb corruption within the force. His tenure saw the establishment of the Police Professional Standards Bureau. He retired in 2001. <\/p>\n\n\n\n13. Ernest Owusu-Poku (2001-2002) \u2013 The Accountability Leader<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by:<\/strong> John Agyekum Kufuor
Owusu-Poku emphasized accountability within the police service, ensuring officers were held to high ethical standards. <\/strong>He retired in 2002.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n14. Nana Owusu-Nsiah (2002-2005) \u2013 The Strategic Planner<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nHe was the second IGP appointee <\/strong>of President John Agyekum Kufuor.
Owusu-Nsiah introduced strategic policing reforms, focusing on improving logistics and officer welfare. He <\/strong>retired in 2005. <\/p>\n\n\n\n15. Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong (2005-2009) \u2013 The Operational Enforcer<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by John Agyekum Kufuor.
Acheampong prioritized law enforcement effectiveness, strengthening anti-robbery operations and enhancing officer training. He <\/strong>retired in 2009. <\/p>\n\n\n\n16. Paul Tawiah Quaye (2009-2013) \u2013 The Professional Standards Advocate<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAppointed by John Atta Mills, he emphasized discipline and professionalism within the police force, reinforcing ethical conduct. <\/strong>He retired in 2013. <\/p>\n\n\n\n17. Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan (2013-2015) \u2013 The Community Safety Reformer<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nMohammed Ahmed Alhassan was appointed by John Mahama.
He reinforced community policing strategies and introduced visibility patrols. <\/strong>He <\/strong>retired in 2015. <\/p>\n\n\n\n18. John Kudalor (2015-2017) \u2013 The Election Security Specialist<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nJohn Kudalor was appointed by <\/strong>John Mahama.
Kudalor managed security during Ghana\u2019s 2016 general elections. He <\/strong>Retired in 2017. <\/p>\n\n\n\n19. David Asante-Apeatu (2017-2019) \u2013 The Intelligence-Driven Leader<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nDavid Asante-Apeatu was appointed by <\/strong>Nana Akufo-Addo.
Asante-Apeatu focused on intelligence-led policing, enhancing crime-fighting strategies. He retired in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n20. James Oppong-Boadu (2019-2021) \u2013 The Pandemic Policeman<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nJames Oppong-Boadu was the second IGP appointee of <\/strong>Nana Akufo-Addo.
Oppong-Boadu led the police force through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring law enforcement adapted to unprecedented public health measures. <\/strong>He retired in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n21. George Akuffo Dampare (2021-2025) \u2013 The People\u2019s IGP<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nGeorge Akuffo Dampare was Appointed by <\/strong>Nana Akufo-Addo in 2021.
Dampare brought a human-centered approach to policing, focusing on welfare reforms for officers, public engagement, tackling police corruption, and increased police visibility. He is the immediate past IGP of Ghana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n22. New IGP \u2013 The Future of Policing in Ghana<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAs Christian Tetteh Yohuno is set to assume office as the new Inspector-General of Police (IGP), expectations are high among Ghanaians. The Ghana Police Service has faced numerous challenges over the years, including concerns about crime, police professionalism, public trust, and internal reforms. Given Yohuno\u2019s vast experience in policing, his leadership will be closely monitored as citizens and stakeholders look forward to meaningful changes. All the best to the newly appointed IGP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
More Stories Here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Ephraim Ofori Numosuor Ghana\u2019s Police Service has been shaped by a lineage of dedicated Inspector-Generals of Police (IGPs), each appointed by different heads of state and leaving a unique imprint on the Service. With the appointment of a new IGP, it is imperative to reflect on the legacy of previous IGPs, their reforms, challenges, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":355992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[107,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-355990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Dampare.jpg?fit=2560%2C1434&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355990"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":355993,"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355990\/revisions\/355993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gbcghanaonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}