A former Commissioner of the Ghana Police Service, Bright Oduro, pointed to irregular promotions as one of the misdeeds of the outgoing Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s “Big Issues” on Saturday, March 22, 2025, the former COP said the basic expectation of a police officer is to deliver on their job and that the decision by the former IGP to effect some promotions by virtue of performance was wrong, especially when some junior officers were elevated above their seniors.
“You should be junior to him your whole life, unless, probably, you do something extraordinary, and then you are promoted. Even in those days, if a junior does something extraordinary and is recommended, especially when you are an officer, as officers, we don’t just promote them. It is your job to do well, to do a diligent job. And so, officers from ASP and above, rarely would you see anybody being promoted,” he stated.
Citing his own time in the police service, Bright Oduro said that even though he had a good record in fighting crime, it never earned him a promotion as it was a requirement of his job.
“I did my part. I never had any promotion. The arrest of dangerous criminals—every dangerous criminal in our time, if you talk about Kombian, if you talk about Ata Ayi, if you talk about Low Ranger, I was behind all these arrests. Did I earn even a single promotion? I didn’t, because it was my job.
“Yet, it’s my job. But if somebody decides to say, ‘Oh, my brother, you did well, let us recommend him for promotion,’ even in my time, if I had been recommended for a special promotion, I don’t think anybody would have spoken about it. But I never benefited, and I wasn’t disturbed because it was my job,” he added.
Questioning some promotions during the tenure of Dr. Dampare, the former COP asked what was exceptional about the performance of some officers that warranted them being elevated even above their seniors.
“So, if an ASP is promoted to DSP the next day to a chief, what has he done that others have not done? And it’s not only one person; the whole junior group, the whole course group, are promoted over and above their seniors, let’s say those who were three jumps ahead of them, and you think they will be satisfied? So they were angry,” he stated.
He added that some decisions, including transfers sanctioned by Dr. Dampare, did not follow due process and therefore caused disaffection within the Ghana Police Service.
President John Dramani Mahama recently relieved Dr. Dampare of his position and appointed COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno in his stead.
While some members of the public criticized the decision, the removal of Dr. Dampare witnessed open jubilation among some police officers who accused him of several misdeeds, such as vindictiveness and victimization.
GA
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