Hot SourceA four-month-old letter from Jubilee House, signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Calistus Mahama, has surfaced across various Ghana Police Service platforms, turning the Office of the President into a subject of public ridicule.
This follows revelations that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has granted a post-retirement contract to a senior officer, while allowing others, who are due for retirement, to remain at post despite an official directive from the Office of the President suspending such appointments.
The letter, dated 2 April 2025 and titled “Suspension of the Grant of Contract Appointments”, stated, “The grant of post-retirement contract appointments to retired public service staff has been suspended with immediate effect. Consequently, all requests for such appointments will no longer be considered. Kindly take note of this directive and ensure strict compliance.”
However, last week, The Herald revealed growing tension within the Ghana Police Service over the controversial extension of service for Commissioner of Police (COP) Michael Nketia Frempong, Director-General of Finance, in apparent defiance of President John Dramani Mahama’s directive.
The emergence of the letter has sparked debate, with many police officers arguing that the IGP could not have acted independently in granting a two-year post-retirement contract to COP Nketia Frempong without authorisation from the Presidency, especially given that the officer had already attained the statutory retirement age of 60.
Observers now question whether this decision opens the door for similar contract extensions for other top officers due to retire soon, including COP Sebastian Atsu Wemegah, who is expected to exit on 6 August 2025, and COP Martin Kwaku Ayiih, who was due to retire on 28 June 2025, but has remained at post.
COP Okyere Darko Asumadu is also set to begin retirement on 11 October 2025.
The IGP himself is scheduled to retire on 27 December 2025. There are murmurs within the Police Service suggesting he is laying the groundwork to secure a post-retirement contract from the Mahama administration.
In what appears to be a test of fairness, some officers are now urging their retired colleagues to also demand post-retirement contracts from the Mahama government. This follows claims that Jubilee House may have caved to pressure after a prominent traditional ruler from the Ashanti Region allegedly requested the extension on behalf of COP Nketia Frempong.
The Herald has been informed that during Monday’s Police Management Board (POMAB) meeting at the Police Headquarters in Accra, the IGP, who has since departed on a foreign trip, reportedly launched into a tirade, accusing board members of leaking internal matters to the media in a bid to damage his reputation and that of the Police Service.
Reports revealed troubling developments within the Police Service, pointing to growing discontent and declining morale, particularly at the Headquarters, over what is seen as a disregard for established procedures governing career progression and retirement.
Sources within the Service indicate that the IGP is quietly revising long-standing policies on retirement without issuing any formal communication. Several senior officers eligible for terminal leave are reportedly still at post, in contravention of regulations.
According to standard service rules, officers approaching retirement are expected to proceed on terminal leave in the months leading up to their 60th birthday. However, The Herald has learned that some officers, believed to be close associates of the IGP remain in active service, while others perceived to be outside his inner circle are being compelled to comply with the rules.
Insiders further reveal that upon assuming office, IGP Yohuno considered abolishing terminal leave altogether through a formal circular. Though advised against it, he appears to have implemented the change informally by selectively retaining certain officers, particularly at the Headquarters.
This inconsistency in rule enforcement is reportedly breeding frustration.
“We are all hurting inside but afraid to speak up,” a source confided.
The immediate past IGP, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, was widely praised for his strict adherence to the rules, sending officers on leave as they approached retirement. His approach is now being contrasted with the current situation, which some officers describe as chaotic and demoralising.
“Some have turned 60 yet continue to wear the uniform and report for duty. That was one thing Dampare got right. Three months before retirement, you went on terminal leave—simple, transparent and fair.”
Candid messages shared among disgruntled officers paint a picture of disillusionment and disorder: “Maybe someone at Jubilee House has promised them something.”
“People are not happy in the system at all—and they don’t care!”
“This wouldn’t happen under Dampare.”
“Has the government’s suspension of post-retirement contracts been lifted, or is the police exempt?”
“I saw one of them walking into the office today with vim—as if he just got promoted!”
“There’s too much indiscipline in the system now.”
“Even commanders are refusing transfers. What do you expect?”
“If your boss, who’s due for retirement, is seriously lobbying for an extension, what do you expect others to do?”
“I was at the HQ—the level of frustration among officers is palpable.”
There are suggestions that some officers have already been granted post-retirement extensions, raising further questions about transparency and fairness in the Service.
As the murmurs of dissatisfaction grow louder, attention is turning to whether the Police Council, chaired by Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang or President Mahama himself, will step in to restore consistency, discipline, and morale.
There are claims that the IGP, facing his own retirement in December, is orchestrating these decisions to secure a contract extension for himself.
A copy of the IGP’s contract letter to COP Nketia Frempong reads in part: It should be noted that the period of your limited engagement is essentially to afford you the opportunity to continue to impact and bring your rich professional and management experiences to bear in the Service.
The terms of your appointment, including salary, allowances and other conditions of service, shall, with the necessary modifications, be the same as those applicable to the rank of Commissioner of Police.
The extended service appointment shall be governed by the provisions of the Police Service Act, 1970 (Act 350), the Civil Service Act, 2001 (Act 600), and all relevant pieces of legislation of the Ghana Police Service, as well as existing administrative rules and regulations on discipline in the Service.”
The letter, which was widely circulated within the Police hierarchy, was copied to key stakeholders, including the Minister for the Interior, all POMAB members, the Quartermaster-General, the Chief Internal Auditor, and the Staff Officer in charge of Establishment.
Meanwhile, members of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, along with the National Security and Intelligence Committee, are reported to have scheduled a closed-door meeting with the IGP and sector ministers to demand clarity on the decision and its implications for succession planning within the Service.
With several more senior officers, including COP Okyere Darko Asumadu, due to retire soon, many will be watching closely to see whether President Mahama will reassert his authority or allow what critics describe as a dangerous precedent to persist.
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