ACP Benjamin Agordzo, a retired senior police officer, has demanded that Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), be removed from office by January 7, 2025. "Some police officers will mobilize to drive Dampare out of office if he stays in office beyond January 7," Dr. Agordzo said. The leadership of the IGP was criticized by Dr. Agordzo, who charged him with poor management, favoritism in promotions, and a lack of openness within the Ghana Police Service. Police visibility programs were started under past administrations, especially under former IGP Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, Dr. Agordzo said, refuting accusations that Dr. Dampare was the original creator of them.
He said that Dr. Dampare only carried on a system that had been in place for years and was supported by the addition of more cars to accommodate Ghana's expanding population. He claims that there have been serious internal issues under Dr. Dampare's leadership. Dr. Agordzo brought attention to a number of problems, asserting that certain junior officers have been promoted ahead of their elders without conducting adequate evaluations. According to Agordzo, "some officers have been in the same rank for years, while others leapfrog them because of special recommendations." He continued by saying that the lack of an assessment committee has led to a great deal of dissatisfaction among officers, which has a negative impact on loyalty and morale inside the military. Dr. Dampare was also criticized by Dr. Agordzo for his "cosmetic approach" to law enforcement.
He charged that the IGP neglected to address the welfare of police officers and systemic problems in favor of public relations gimmicks like renovating police stations and setting up bus stops. The general public and officers' daily lives, he said, are not much affected by such activities. He further said that in order to provide the false appearance that security had increased, the IGP had suppressed crime figures. Dr. Agordzo asserted in a TV3 interview that "crime statistics have never been shared for a whole year because the IGP wants to manipulate the numbers and make it seem like crime is down." There has been previous criticism of Dr. Dampare's leadership.
Senior officers said that Dr. Dampare excluded them from decision-making, causing internal strife inside the Police Management Board (POMAB) earlier this year. Being embroiled in the alleged IGP recording leak scandal, retired COP Alex Mensah was outspoken about the developments and called IGP Dr. Dampare the "worst IGP." A conspiracy by several police officers and political players to remove Dr. Dampare due to complaints about his management style was exposed by the leaked audio recordings. The IGP's centralized communication system, which prevents regional commanders and officers from addressing the media directly, has also drawn criticism.
They contend that the police service's accountability and transparency have been suppressed by this strategy. Dr. Agordzo cautioned that the police force runs the risk of losing its reputation and the public's trust if Dr. Dampare is kept on by the future administration. He stressed that if Dr. Dampare remained in office, the problems facing the police would worsen and called for swift reforms to address the fundamental problems inside the force. The public and interested parties await the government's decision regarding the IGP's future and the course of the Ghana Police Service as the controversy surrounding Dr. Dampare's leadership heats up.