Ghana: President's Powers Over Security Heads - Supreme Court Dismisses Imani, Anin Suit

4 June 2026
Ghanaian Times (Accra)
By MALIK SULLEMANA

IMANI Ghana and Kwasi Anin's suit challenging the President's power to hire and fire heads of security agencies was yesterday dismissed by the Supreme Court in Accra.

In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of judges presided over by Justice Gabriel Scott, held that the suit lacked merit.

The ruling affirmed the constitutional mandate granted to the President to appoint and dismiss the Inspector General of Police, the Director of Prsions, Comptroller of the Ghana Immigration Service and Chief Fire Officer.

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The plaintiffs went to court in 2025 to seek the court's intervention as well as constitutional interpretation of the provision granting the President the mandate to make appointments of persons to head the various security agencies.

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On March 25, they ruled that an injunction seeking to restrain President Mahama from removing immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare, and other Security agency heads cannot be allowed.

A five-member panel of the apex court which had Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as its President, said the pendency of the application for an interlocutory injunction does not stop the President from performing his public and administrative function.

Filed by Imani Ghana and security expert, Prof. Kwesi Aning, the application sought to prevent the President from going ahead to replace the security service heads until the final determination of a case in which the applicants are seeking the Supreme Court's interpretation on the constitutional provision.

They argued that the security heads would be unfairly treated if they were removed before the Supreme Court delivers its ruling on the substantive case.

The substantive case, which was filed last year is seeking a clarification on the President's authority to terminate the appointment or removal from office heads of the agencies unless only upon proven stated misconduct or misbehaviour established against these office holders.

The Chief Fire Officer of the Fire Service; Inspector General of Police; Director General of Prisons Service, and Comptroller General of Immigration Service.

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