The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit filed by IMANI Africa questioning the President’s constitutional authority to appoint and remove heads of the country’s security agencies.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Gabriel Pwamang, who chaired the panel, said the Court found no merit in the case and therefore rejected all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
In its judgment, the Court clarified that the offices of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General of Prisons are not protected under Article 191 of the Constitution, which safeguards certain public office holders from arbitrary removal.
The Court further held that the appointments of the Chief Fire Officer and the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service are regulated by statutory provisions and remain subject to the President’s discretion, in line with the constitutional mandate to oversee the country’s security structure.
The suit was filed in 2024 by IMANI Africa and security analyst Professor Kwesi Aning. The plaintiffs argued that the President should not have unrestricted authority to dismiss heads of specified security agencies and sought a constitutional interpretation from the apex court.
Their argument, however, was ultimately rejected by the Court.