The Ghana Police Service (GPS), under its current leadership, has undergone a visible metamorphosis. From enhanced patrol visibility to the decentralization of administrative processes, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has been largely commended for restoring a sense of professional pride within the rank and file.
Central to this commendation has been the regularization of promotions. For years, the Service was plagued by “promotional stagnation,” where officers remained in a single rank for nearly a decade. The current administration’s commitment to clearing these backlogs- and rewarding hardworking officer is evidenced by the mass promotion of 35 police officers, for their outstanding role in the arrest of suspects linked to the Adabraka gold robbery in Accra, 17 officers for their roles in separate operations that led to the seizure of suspected narcotic drugs and the recovery of illegal firearms,19 senior police officers from the ranks of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), along with over 100 other ranks, in recognition of their dedication, sacrifice, and exceptional service to the Ghana Police Service among others. These among other promotions have been commended.
However, the recent announcement regarding the promotion of the “Royal Ladies” unit, a special female cohort named in honor of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, presents a sharp departure from these structured reforms. While the intent may be to foster civil-police relations, the legal and administrative implications of promoting an entire unit based on ceremonial performance at a traditional palace are profound. And I’d like to examine the necessity of maintaining the thin line between institutional appreciation and the subversion of the statutory frameworks governing the Republic’s security apparatus.
1. LEGAL NON-COMPLIANCE AND THE EROSION OF MERITOCRACY
The primary instrument governing the internal mechanics of the GPS is the Police Service Regulations, 2012 (C.I. 76). Specifically, Regulation 37 provides an exhaustive and mandatory framework for promotions. It stipulates that advancement must be predicated on three distinct pillars: (a) passing a competitive promotion examination, (b) seniority and length of service coupled with a satisfactory performance assessment, or (c) special recommendation based on “meritorious acts of bravery or valour in the prevention of crime or outstanding performance of duty.”
In applying these criteria to the “Royal Ladies” unit, a legal lacuna emerges. Ceremonial guard duties and participation in traditional festivals like the Akwasidae, while culturally significant, do not constitute “meritorious acts of bravery” or “valour” as contemplated by the drafters of C.I. 76.
To promote an entire unit for “graceful attendance” or “honouring a visit” effectively expands the definition of “merit” to include ceremonial aesthetics. This creates a precedent where the exercise of discretionary power by the IGP under Article 202(2) of the 1992 Constitution may be viewed as ultra vires if it bypasses the rigorous assessment committees established under C.I. 76.
We must understand that meritocracy is the bedrock of any disciplined force; once the standard shifts from tactical competence to ceremonial proximity, the statutory integrity of the Service is compromised.
2. FISCAL IMPACT, RANK INFLATION, AND THE PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ACT
Promotions within the Public Service are not merely honorary; they carry significant pecuniary obligations. Under Section 5 of the Police Service Act, 1970 (Act 350), the filling of vacancies and the creation of ranks must align with the budgetary allocations of the Service. Every promotion triggers an immediate upward adjustment in basic salary, allowances, and subsequent pension liabilities.
The Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) imposes a duty on “Principal Spending Officers” to ensure the “effective, efficient, and economical use of public resources.” Therefore, such promotions that are not tied to established vacancies or budgeted human resource plans lead to “rank inflation.” This increases the “Compensation of Employees” component of the national budget without a corresponding increase in operational output (particularly crime reduction).
When a unit is promoted en bloc for non-operational reasons, it creates an unbudgeted fiscal strain on the Consolidated Fund. In the long term, this affects the sustainability of the Police Pensions scheme and may be flagged by the Auditor-General as a failure to adhere to fiscal discipline.
3. CONSTITUTIONAL NEUTRALITY AND THE RISK OF INSTITUTIONAL CAPTURE
Article 200 of the 1992 Constitution establishes a single, national Police Service. The hallmark of a Republican security agency is its absolute neutrality. The Service owes its allegiance to the Constitution and the People of Ghana, not to any sectional, partisan, or traditional interest.
The naming of a police unit as “Royal Ladies” and tying their promotion to the “honouring of a Chief” risks blurring the lines between state authority and customary allegiance. Article 35(6)(a) of the Constitution mandates the State to “foster a spirit of loyalty to Ghana that overrides sectional, ethnic and other loyalties.”
Therefore, creating and promoting units based on their ties to a specific traditional stool, the Police Administration risks “institutional capture.” It sends a confusing signal regarding the chain of command: does the officer serve the Republic, or the “Royal” namesake? To maintain public confidence, the security apparatus must remain a blind arbiter of the law, insulated from the influence of traditional hierarchies.
4. INSTITUTIONAL DISAFFECTION AND INTERNAL COHESION
The GPS is a “cohesive unit” (as noted in various judicial commentaries on Act 350). Section 29 of Act 350 criminalizes acts that “cause disaffection” among members of the Service. While this is often applied to mutiny, it also serves as a warning against administrative unfairness.
Internal morale is built on the “legitimate expectation” that hard work in the trenches- fighting armed robbery in the North or policing volatile border towns- will be rewarded equally. When officers in high-risk zones see their colleagues promoted for ceremonial duties at a palace, it breeds deep-seated resentment. This “lack of affection” for the leadership’s criteria can lead to a breakdown in discipline. If the “merit” requirement in Section 5(3) is perceived as arbitrary, the GPS risks losing its most competent tactical officers to disillusionment, as the reward system is no longer seen as a reflection of the dangers of the profession.
5. THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND REPUBLICAN INDEPENDENCE
Finally, we must consider the Public Interest, as defined in Article 295 of the Constitution. The public interest requires that the police be independent and impartial. In the landmark case of NPP v. IGP [1993-94] 2 GLR 459, the court emphasized that the police’s duty is to the law.
If the precedent is set that promotions can be granted as gestures of “profound appreciation” to traditional leaders, what stops future administrations from promoting units to appease other powerful non-state actors? The security of the State depends on a police force that is loyal only to the law.
The independence of the GPS is a safeguard against tribal tensions; once the police are seen as “belonging” to or being “named after” specific ethnic or traditional entities, their ability to mediate inter-tribal or land disputes is fundamentally compromised.
In all, the current IGP’s efforts to inspire personnel of the Ghana Police Service are commendable and must be sustained. However, the promotion of the “Royal Ladies” unit serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of “ceremonial governance” within a security institution. The Ghana Police Service must respect our traditional institutions, but that respect must not be paid for with the currency of statutory promotions.
To truly preserve the Republic, the Police Administration must ensure that every pip on an officer’s shoulder is earned through the rigorous, transparent, and merit-based criteria set out in C.I. 76. The badge of a police officer represents the sovereignty of Ghana; it must never be subordinated to the service of a stool, no matter how exalted.
By Frank Quaye
The writer is a legal activist.