IGP To Go

Two new positions are to be created within the hierarchy of the Police Service within the next few months. Before then, a new Inspector General of Police (IGP) will be appointed by the government to take over from the incumbent, Ernest Owusu Poku. Sources close to the government told “The Evening News” that a Deputy IGP and Assistant IGP positions are to be created to take some of the load off the Inspector General. For the post of IGP, Mr. Owusu Nsiah, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Director of Immigration is likely to be named as the new IGP.

For the positions of Deputy IGP and Assistant IGP, P.K. Acheampong, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Director of Criminal Investigation Department and Mrs. Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, Deputy Commissioner of Police are likely to be appointed as pioneers to the new positions. The source said the appointment of Mrs. Mills-Robertson was for both competence and gender balance.

The two appointments have become necessary as the current IGP, Ernest Owusu-Poku has attained the compulsory age of 60 and is unlikely to be given a two year contract in accordance with the Justice Archer commission report on the Police Service of which Mr. Owusu Poku was a member.

The source said the government would have preferred Mr. Acheampong to succeed Mr. Owusu Poku but would not want to be seen to be appointing Ashantis to occupy sensitive positions. It is known that no professional in the Police Service like Mr. Owusu Nsiah, an Accountant had ever become an IGP.

Sources explained that previous IGPs were career Police Officers, who had gone through practical policing and therefore with the appointment Mr. Owusu Nsiah, it might not inject the dynamism and strength needed to change the face of policing in the country. It said the police personnel hailed the appointment of Mr. Owusu Poku as IGP since he was the most Senior Officer at the time the NPP party assumed the reins of power. With Mr. Owusu Poku having attained the retirement age, the source said the personnel were looking forward to President Kufuor’s administration going by the same procedure and not by passing the most senior officer to appoint a junior as the New IGP.

However staff list of the Police Service previously chanced upon by the Evening News newspaper gave the names of senior most police officers as Commissioner in Charge of Legal and Prosecution, Sam Awortwi, Joe Mprah, in charge of Police College and Mrs. Jane Donkor, in charge of Welfare. The list named Junior Commissioners as Deputy Commissioners of Police as, Dr K. K. Manfo, Greater Accra Regional Commander and P.K. Acheampong.