The Forum for Development and Accountable Governance (FDAG) says it has conducted extensive investigations into the operations of Ghana’s security services, including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, and the Ghana National Fire Service.
FDAG says its findings reveal a disturbing pattern of political victimization, suppression, and unfair treatment of officers based on perceived political affiliations rather than competence, professionalism, and experience.
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This systemic issue undermines institutional integrity, weakens morale, and threatens the effectiveness of our security agencies.
In the coming days, Nana Kojo Abbam, Senior Research Fellow – FDAG, said in a statement that they will release a comprehensive report detailing the extent of these injustices across security services.
“However, today, we highlight a specific case in the Ghana Immigration Service as an example of this growing problem: the ordeal of ACI Lawyer Edward Kofi Owusu, an officer of the Ghana Immigration Service whose career has been deliberately stifled due to perceived political leanings. ACI Lawyer Edward Kofi Owusu, a highly experienced officer who served as a former Chief Staff Officer (CSO) and Regional Commander for 12 years in the Upper West, Eastern, the old and later new Northern Region, has been unjustly sidelined and denied promotion for over eight years. Despite his vast experience and dedication to service, he was abruptly demoted to a District/Sector Commander in Twifo Praso in July 2022 without justification. Prior to that, he was posted to Sefwi Praso—a non-existent location in Ghana—an incident that was exposed on TV3’s Johnnie’s Bite program. Following that exposure, he was reassigned to Twifo Praso, where he was the only officer stationed for 18 months without an office or logistical support. The Ghana Immigration Service, under the leadership of Comptroller-General Kwame Asuah Takyi, refused to provide the necessary resources to operationalize the post, effectively leaving him redundant.
“Beyond this, he has been unfairly denied promotion since 2017, remaining at the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI). While his subordinates, including his former deputy regional commanders, have risen to Deputy Commissioners of Immigration (DCOI), ACI Lawyer Edward Kofi Owusu remained on the same rank and in some cases taking instructions from officers that were once under him. As if that is not enough, while pursuing his law studies in Accra, and with just a year left to be called to the Bar, he was suddenly transferred to Tamale, making it impossible for him to complete his studies on time. This forced him to defer his education, causing a significant setback to his professional growth. Additionally, while serving as Northern Regional Commander, he was denied a command vehicle for three years, while junior officers under his command were allocated pickups,” F
Even though the case of ACI Lawyer Edward Kofi Owusu is not an isolated incident in the Ghana Immigration Service, many officer FDAG interviewed attest to the fact that the manner in which this fine officer was treated is just too bad.
In July 2022, five former Regional Commanders of the GIS, including this same officer ACI Lawyer Edward Kofi Owusu, were demoted from Regional Commander positions to Sector Commander,s and made to serve under their juniors. The other victims included ACI Smart Osei Bonsu, ACI Kwasi Opoku Apau, and ACI Kojo Opong Yeboah who once served as Director of HR at the Headquarters All these in addition to then ACI Samuel Amadu Basintale and ACI Peter Yao Nkrumah were denied promotion without any explanation. This action by CGI Kwame Asuah Takyi was unprecedented in any security agency in Ghana. What was so sad about this was the fact that the CGI did this three days after he was supposed to have retired, but President Akuffo Addo gave him a two years post retirement contract.
As this report is being compiled, FDAG can reveal that DCOI Peter Yao Nkrumah, former North East Regional Commander, and DCOI Samuel Amadu Basintale, former Bono Regional Commander, who have been transferred from their former stations to the Headquarters in Accra have similarly been left without office space or work schedules since November, 2024. Their experiences reinforce the troubling reality that promotions and appointments within the service are often based on political considerations rather than merit.
This disturbing trend is evident across Ghana’s security institutions. ACI Lawyer Edward Kofi Owusu’s case mirrors that of DCOP Osman Razak, the current Security Coordinator of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) who suffered similar fate in the Ghana Police Service under former President Akufo Addo. DCOP Osman Razak was subjected to political victimization and sidelined, despite his vast experience and expertise. His career was nearly derailed until President John Mahama rectified the injustice by elevating him to his current position, demonstrating that political interference has deeply infiltrated Ghana’s security services.
The case of ACI Lawyer Edward Kofi Owusu, who also holds a Masters degree in Peace, Security and Intelligence Management (UPSA) and a Certificate in Crisis Management from GAFCSC, a former Chief Staff Officer (CSO) and former Regional Commander among others, is just the tip of the iceberg. Across various security agencies, officers with years of experience are being unfairly transferred, demoted, and denied promotions based on perceived political affiliations. This situation not only demoralizes hardworking personnel but also weakens the effectiveness of Ghana’s security institutions, which should be built on professionalism, fairness, and competence rather than political patronage.
As a civil society organization committed to good governance, fairness, and institutional integrity, FDAG calls for an end to political interference in Ghana’s security services. Officers should be promoted and appointed based on competence, technical expertise, and dedication to duty—not political considerations.
FDAG will continue to expose these injustices and advocate for reforms to protect the integrity of Ghana’s security agencies. We urge the government and all relevant stakeholders to take immediate steps to address this issue and ensure that security agencies remain professional, independent, and free from political manipulation.
