Mr. Peter Lanchene Toobu, the Member of Parliament for Wa West Constituency in the Upper West Region, has raised concerns over the recent appointment of a Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP) in charge of Operations.

He argues that the position is non-existent within the current legal framework of the Ghana Police administration.

In an exclusive interview with Class 93.1 FM’s parliamentary correspondent Mr Haveli Kekeli on Thursday, July 18 2024, Mr. Toobu, who previously served as Executive Secretary to an IGP, highlighted that the law only provides for a single Deputy IGP. 

He referred to past experiences, noting, “We tried having two Deputy IGPs—one for Operations and one for Administration—in 2012, but it proved ineffective. Consequently, Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 76 was introduced, ensuring that only one Deputy IGP would support the IGP.”

Mr. Toobu emphasised that since the introduction of C.I. 76, the norm has been to have a single Deputy IGP, if the President chooses to appoint one. 

He recalled that in 2019, President Akufo-Addo lawfully promoted COP Oppong Bonuah to the position of Deputy IGP in accordance with C.I. 76.

However, he criticised the recent promotion of COP Christian Tetteh Yohonu to Deputy IGP in charge of Operations, stating it lacks legal backing. 

“Appointing Christian Tetteh Yohonu to a position that does not exist in the law is problematic. For example, Mr. Mohammed Alhassan once served as Deputy IGP before becoming IGP. If you designate Mr. Yohonu solely for Operations, it begs the question of who handles administration,” Mr. Toobu explained.

He concluded by reiterating that both operations and administration fall under the purview of the IGP and his deputy, therefore, the creation of a separate role for Operations is not supported by the law.