Dampare’s removal: IMANI’s suit seeks to protect good governance, not undermine Mahama – Franklin Cudjoe

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has clarified that the think tank’s ongoing legal challenge regarding the removal of Dr George Akuffo Dampare as Inspector General of Police (IGP) is not aimed at derailing President John Mahama’s administration but is a broader effort to protect good governance and uphold the Constitution.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Mr Cudjoe noted that while the President has the right to appoint or remove certain public officers, IMANI’s case — filed at the Supreme Court in March 2024 — seeks clarification on whether such removals are constitutionally valid when not based on proven misconduct or other stipulated grounds.

“This morning’s injunction filed by our lawyers was in furtherance of a suit filed by IMANI and Prof. Kwesi Aning LAST YEAR, MARCH 2024, at the Supreme Court, 9 months before the December elections. It is not a fresh case, and the injunction request was based on many published rumours about Dampare’s removal. It was not about any attempt to derail Nana Addo or John Mahama at all,” Cudjoe emphasised.

He further explained that IMANI and its partners are asking the Supreme Court to determine whether, under the 1992 Constitution, the President has the authority to remove heads of key security agencies — such as the IGP, Chief Fire Officer, Director-General of Prisons, and Comptroller General of Immigration — unless on grounds of “proven stated misconduct or misbehaviour.”

Franklin Cudjoe referenced past incidents, including the removal of former Director-General of Prisons, Mr Emmanuel Yao Adzator, in 2017 at age 54, as part of a worrying trend where newly elected governments remove heads of security services without constitutional justification.

“Today, Dr Dampare, aged 54, the immediate past IGP, has been removed by a new president without stating any of the grounds in the Constitution upon which he has been removed,” he pointed out.

The think tank is also seeking a consequential order to prevent any future attempts by the President to dismiss or remove individuals from these key offices unless in cases clearly defined by law — such as misconduct, retirement, resignation, death, or incapacity.

“Let’s all wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling on May 7th, 2025,” Franklin Cudjoe concluded.

Read Franklin Cudjoe full post below:

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