Deputy IGP James Oppong-Boanuh
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has granted a one-year contract extension to Deputy Inspector General of Police, James Oppong-Boanuh.
COP Oppong-Boanuh, was appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police, two weeks ago prior to his 60th birthday.
He turned 60 years on Tuesday and should have retired per the civil service law, but a letter from the Office of the President signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President, communicated the one-year contract to him.
The letter said: “With reference to your letter dated 17th September, 2018, and a Memo dated 3rd October, 2018, from the Minister for the Interior on the subject matter above. I am pleased to inform you that the President of the Republic has granted you a one-year contract service as Deputy Director-General of the Police effective 8th October, 2018, to 7th October, 2019.”
Per the letter, the secretary to the president congratulated COP Oppong-Boanuh on the new position and further asked him to indicate his acceptance within a period of 14 days.
Speculations are rife that retaining him in the service is to prepare him to take up the position of an Inspector General of Police, when David Asante-Apeatu, leaves office on August 14, 2019.
Mr. Asante-Apeatu reached a retiring age a year ago but was also awarded a two-year contract extension by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Morale Low
There seems to be silent agitations within the service as this has affected the morale of most of the top officers who have age on their side and claimed they were equally fit and qualified to occupy such positions in the service.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, some of the officers said contract extension is normally done when there are no qualified persons to occupy a professional position and such persons are given six months contract extension to prepare another person to occupy their position.
They mentioned the two-year contract extension of IGPs, Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan and John Kudalor, both retired, who had two-year contract extensions respectively by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
“We thought this will come to an end but when NPP took over, they also extended the contract of Mr David Asante-Apeatu for two years and after a year to the end of his contract, they had again awarded a one-year contract to COP James Oppong Boanuh.”
They asked, “What new thing is he bringing on board this time around after doing nothing while serving?”
This development leaves Ghana with two of its top police officers being on contract after their retirement.
The current Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Appeatu, who was due for retirement on August 14, 2017, was granted a two-year contract by President Akufo-Addo last year.
What this new contract extension means is that the two top officers are likely to retire within the same period in 2019.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
BY Linda Tenyah-Ayettey