Imani, Aning Pray Supreme Court To Stop Mahama … From Sacking Dampare And Others

The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court has been invoked to restrain President John Dramani Mahama from dismissing the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, and other heads of Ghana’s internal security services.

An interlocutory injunction filed on Thursday, March 13, 2025 by the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education and Prof. Kwesi Aning, is seeking to prevent the president from dismissing these heads until the final determination of the substantive matter, which is also pending before the same court.

The following is the affidavit in support of the motion on notice, which was sworn on behalf of the plaintiffs by Mr Kofi Bentil, Senior Vice President of Imani Ghana.

I, Kofi Bentil of East Legon-Accra, make oath and say as follows:

 

1. That I am the Senior Vice President of the 1st Plaintiff/Applicant herein(hereinafter referred to as the “1st Plaintiff”) and Deponent herein.

 

2. That I have the consent and authority of the 1st and 2nd Plaintiffs to swear to this affidavit on matters within my knowledge, information and belief, unless I state otherwise.

 

3. That, to the extent, that any of my depositions are anchored on law, or raises a point of law, then, the same is being made upon legal advice which I have received and I verily believe same to be true.

 

4. That on the 11th day of March 2024, the Plaintiffs instituted this action against the Defendant, praying the court for a constitutional interpretation and enforcement to the effect that the removal of 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 without just cause is unconstitutional and a consequential order restraining and preventing the President of the Republic from dismissing or removing these heads.

Attached as Exhibit A is a copy ofthe writ.

 

5. That the gravamen of the suit in its entirety is hinged on the protection of these heads from being removed from office without a just cause as dictated by the constitution.

 

6. That the respective statements of case in the suit have been filed by both the Plaintiffs and the Defendant. A date has also been duly fixed for the delivery of judgment, being the 7th of May 2025.

 

7. That it is worthy of note that final judgment on the matter will be determined only amount 2 months from the day of this application.

 

8. That notwithstanding the pendency of the suit and judgment day having being fixed, there have been credible reports, threats and talks of the imminent removal of some of these heads. Evidence of this is attached as Exhibit B.

 

9. Paragraph 8 above is repeated herein and I respectfully assert before this honourable court, that the Executive Branch of Government, have evinced a clear intention, to remove some heads even before the honourable court settles the constitutional issue.

 

10. That in the very unfortunate event that the Defendant/Respondent its principals, including His Excellency the President of the Republic is allowed to remove all or any of these heads, the extant suit will be rendered nugatory, and any victory pyric.

 

11. That whiles recognising, that the substantive suit, is not one to pursue personal interests, it cannot be seriously challenged, that the offices being sought protection are currently occupied by certain persons, who are direct beneficiaries of this constitutional matter.

 

12. That t h e court should, therefore, n o t b e unfairly prejudiced, and/or its authority subjected to political mockery when the court is yet to make a final determination on the issues raised in the suit.

 

13. That without a doubt, the suit, which raises very serious constitutional issues and with the balance of convenience heavily tilting in favour of the Applicants. This application has merit.

 

14. That the Defendant suffers no injury, should the application be granted,especially since the decision is in no way far to be delivered and more so, since,in the event Plaintiffs do not emerge victorious in the final action, the Executive will not be proscribed in exercising their rights of removal of any of these heads.

 

15. That this is an opposite case which is just and convenient, that the instant application is granted.

 

16. 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.

Meanwhile, late into press time, news broke of the dismissal of the IGP.

A statement issued by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, announced that Dr. Dampare had been dismissed and replaced with Commissioner of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohunu.

The removal of the IGP comes on the back of the interlocutory injunction filed yesterday.

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