By Gifty Amofa
Accra, Oct. 9, GNA – Graduate Chief Inspectors who were left out of a special Amnesty in 2021,say enabling legistions were ignored in the promotion exercise.
The exercise which saw the promotion some Junior rank personnel was undertaken without recourse to the Constitutional Instruments (CI) 76, Police Service Regulations 2012, that guide the Ghana Police Service’s activities including promotions.
Chief Inspector Christopher Okpata, the first plaintiff in a suit against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney General (AG), – the Defendants, in a Cross-examination at the Human Rights Court said, in the CI 76, there is nothing like Amnesty.
Mr Kwaku Boakye Boateng, of the AG, for the defendants, asked whether the plaintiff knew the CI 76 established the Police Council and that the Council determined the appropriate rank due?
Chief Inspector Okpata answered in the affirmative but was quick to add that “our case is far different from the CI 76, where Amnesty was given.
“Are you aware that under the CI 76, officers in the Service are split into junior and senior officers?” AG questioned.
Chief Inspector Okpata said , “My Lord, yes but in our case, the CI 76 was set aside and Amnesty was given and in CI 76, there is nothing like Amnesty.”
AG asked: The junior ranks start from Constable to Chief Inspector and Senior ranks from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to Inspector General of Police and Chief Inspector Okpata confirmed it.
The AG wanted to ascertain whether the plaintiff knew that the CI 76 had provided appointing authorities for each rank in the Police Service and plaintiff admitted.
He explained that in their case the CI 76 was not used to determine such authority.
The junior officers are appointed by the Police Appointment and Promotion Board, the AG asked and plaintiff said it was correct.
“From the ranks of ASP to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACOP or ACP) are appointed by the Appointment Authorities in consultation with the Police Council, is that the case?” The plaintiff said it was so.
The AG said the appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) to IGP was done by the President and with the advice of the Police Council, not so? And Chief Inspector Okpata denied, saying it was rather the ACOP to Commissioner of Police that is done by the President in consultation with the Police Council.
In a suit by the affected officers at the High Court presided over by Justice Frederick Tetteh, the officers said on February 8, 2021, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) issued directives to Commanders to the effect that police personnel who passed out from the training school on or before December 31, 2008 and had been awarded degrees on or before December 31, 2020 must submit certified copies of their degree certificates to the Headquarters by February 26, 2021 for a special exercise”.
That the affected police personnel duly complied with the directives and on July 23, 2021, a series of special administrative promotions under a special amnesty granted were released by the IGP, it explained.
The following promotions as the General Corporals granted special amnesty and awarded One step with three (3) incremental jumps in their ranks and was translated to their promotion to the rank of Sergeants which took effect on July 21, 2021.
The General Sergeants were granted special amnesty and awarded One step with three (3) incremental jump in their ranks and that had translated into the promotion to the rank of Inspectors with effect from July 7, 2021 whereas the Inspectors were promoted to Chief Inspectors but the plaintiffs (Chief Inspectors) were deprived of their next rank leading them at par with their juniors.
The plaintiffs earlier petitioned the IGP and copied the then Minister for the Interior and the Vice President (head of the security agencies) but it received no positive attention, leading to a suit at the High Court.
The Court action has reached its hearing stage and has been adjourned to Thursday, October 10, 2024.
The suit action is demanding among other things: the court ordering the Service to promote the plaintiffs based on the special amnesty by granting them One step with three incremental credits to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police just as was done for their juniors.
They are to be considered in the special Amnesty with incremental credits that would have earned them direct entry to the Police Academy whereas others had been granted incremental credits which enhanced their promotion to higher and new ranks.
They say morale is low in their ranks because their long service has not been properly rewarded unlike their juniors who have served lesser years in the service but had been rewarded abundantly.
GNA