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Widespread anger has erupted within the Ghana Police Service following the surprise promotion of a retired senior officer, Arhin Kwasi Annor, to the rank of Commissioner of Police (COP), a development many officers describe as unprecedented, unfair, and damaging to morale.
Mr Arhin, who retired on 20 September 2025 as a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), was promoted in October, with the elevation backdated to 1 September 2025. Backdating means he is deemed to have served as a full Commissioner for just 19 days, allowing him to draw enhanced retirement benefits even though he did not serve a single working day in the role.
Mr Arhin once served as the Greater Accra Regional Commander.
The promotion has intensified longstanding concerns about the growing culture of “Special Recommendations”, a controversial practice under which certain officers considered favourites of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) are handpicked for rapid career advancement.
Critics within the Service say such promotions, often granted multiple times to the same individuals, have sidelined merit and years of experience in favour of personal preferences and political connections.
Senior police insiders told The Herald that the latest promotion has particularly angered the rank and file because Mr Arhin is said to be a close relative of Eugene Arhin, former Director of Communications at the Presidency under Nana Akufo-Addo. Some officers claim that the move reflects political patronage rather than professional achievement.
Mr Arhin’s accelerated rise has long been a subject of quiet resentment. He joined the Police Service in 2003 during the Kufuor administration as an under-cadet at the age of 38, rising quickly through the ranks. Some officers allege he previously served as an NPP constituency secretary before entering the Service, an assertion that has fuelled claims of political favouritism.
His record also includes the controversial arrest of Madina MP Francis Xavier-Sosu, during which the MP’s bodyguard was interdicted and demoted, a sanction later reversed by the Mahama administration in January this year.
News of his promotion in retirement has sparked confusion, with some officers insisting this has never happened in the history of the Service except under IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, who was accused of similar discretionary advancements.
Several personnel have questioned whether the Police Council, chaired by Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, was fully briefed before approving the recommendation.
“The message leadership is sending is that it no longer matters how long you serve or how well you perform, only whom you know,” one senior officer lamented. Others have taken to dark humour, joking that they, too, may unexpectedly receive a call granting them a higher rank while in retirement.
Many officers say the episode has deepened mistrust in the current leadership, arguing that the system rewards a select few while eroding professionalism and discipline within the Service.
As dissatisfaction grows, calls are mounting for reforms to end opaque promotions and to restore confidence in the fairness and integrity of police career progression.
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