A statement signed Eugene Arhin, the Director of Communication at the Presidency, dated 21st July 2021, read that the Inspector General of Police, Mr James Oppong Boanuah has been directed to “embark on terminal leave with effect from August 1, pending his retirement from the Ghana Police Service on October 7.”
According to the statement, “Until a substantive IGP is appointed in accordance with the dictates of the Constitution, President Akufo-Addo has asked COP Dr Dampare to serve as the Acting IGP with effect from August 1.”
Who is COP Dr George Akuffo Dampare?
COP Dr George Akuffo Dampare is a Chartered Accountant who holds a PhD in Finance. He joined the Ghana Police Service as a Constable in December 1990 at age 20 and rose through the ranks to become Commissioner of Police (COP) at age 44 in 2014. A rank he holds until his current appointment to IGP.
After completion of recruitment training, Dr George Akuffo Dampare was adjudged the overall Best Recruit at the National Police Training School and won all the awards except the award for the ‘Best Marksman.’
In 1996, Dr. Dampare was adjudged the Overall Best Cadet for the 32nd Cadet Officers’ Course at the Ghana Police Academy and once again won all awards including Excellence in Professional Police Subjects and Excellence in Academic Subjects.
Dr George Akuffo Dampare has held several leadership roles in the Police Service including Special Assistant to the Regional Commander, United Nations Mission in Bosnia Herzegovina, Director-General for ICT (Ghana Police Service), Municipal Police Commander, Cape Coast, ADC to the Vice President of Ghana, Accountant/Finance Officer, Ghana Police Service, the Head of Police and Narcotics Desk at the Ministry of Interior, Director General for the Motor Traffic & Transport Department (MTTD), and Director-General for National Patrol Department (Police Visibility Department).
Contributions & Achievements
Dr George Akuffo Dampare has made notable contributions to the Ghana Police Service and the society in which he serves. Most notable of them include:
- As the Accra Regional Commander, Dr Dampare raised sufficient capital to put up a new office complex and re-roofed 90% of all office buildings at the Regional Headquarters which had been in a deplorable state for several years.
- As the Director-General for Finance, Dr Dampare introduced the payment of recruits’ allowances through the bank by getting them bank accounts as well as ATM cards. He also got the banks to set up ATMs at the Police Training Schools which came at no cost to the Government.
- Under the leadership of the then IGP, Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan and in his capacity as the Director-General of the National Patrol Department, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare supervised the implementation of the “Police Visibility” programme which witnessed the presence of police personnel at most intersections and communities in Ghana.
- In 2013, under the leadership of the then Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, Dr Dampare led a team of officers, to restructure the Armoured Car Squadron (ACS) Unit into the Formed Police Unit (FPU) within a record time of ten (10) weeks, a task which proved futile for over 15 years.
- As Accra Regional Police Commander, Dr Dampare introduced the “Continuous Stakeholder Engagement Programme.” An innovative policing strategy that involved all stakeholders in policing the Region.
It is worth mentioning that Dr. George Akuffo Dampare is married to Anita and they have six children together.
