The Supreme Court has ruled against an injunction seeking to prevent President John Mahama from removing immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP) George Akuffo Dampare and other security agency heads.
In its decision on March 25, 2025, a five-member panel led by Justice Paul Baffoe Bonney stated that the application for an interlocutory injunction does not restrict the President from performing his constitutional and administrative duties.
The injunction, filed by Imani Ghana and security expert Prof. Kwesi Aning, aimed to delay the replacement of security service heads until the Supreme Court delivers its final ruling on a related constitutional case.
The applicants argued that removing these officials before the court’s decision would be unfair.
The substantive case, filed last year, seeks clarification on the President’s authority to terminate or remove heads of security agencies unless proven misconduct or misbehavior is established.
The affected offices include the Chief Fire Officer of the Fire Service, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of Prisons Service, and the Comptroller General of Immigration Service.
The Supreme Court has scheduled May 7, 2025, to deliver its judgment on the substantive case, which could have significant implications for the governance of security agencies in Ghana.
In the suit, the plaintiffs prayed the court that “In the circumstance, I humbly and respectfully pray the honourable court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Defendant/Respondent its principals, including His Excellency the President of the Republic, the respective Council of the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service, National Fire Service.”
“Ghana Prisons Service, and whomsoever or however described from removing, terminating, dismissing, sacking, suspending or whichever way described; the Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service, the Comptroller of the Ghana Immigration Service, the Director General of the National Fire Service and the Inspector General of Police from their respective positions as Heads of the Ghana Prisons Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service pending the final determination of the suit”.
