A Ghanaian entrepreneur, Henrietta Nana Yaa Simpson, has dragged the state to the Supreme Court, challenging what she describes as an unconstitutional and discriminatory appointment of Commissioner of Police (Retired) Nathan Kofi Boakye to the Police Council.
Filed on Monday, June 23, 2025, the case raises significant constitutional questions about executive overreach and gender equity in public appointments. At the heart of the suit is Simpson’s demand that the apex court declare COP (Rtd.) Boakye’s appointment null and void and instead compel the inclusion of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Rtd.) Florence Arthur, whom she insists is the legitimate nominee of the National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO).
Simpson’s legal team argues that the appointment violates Article 201 of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates that a representative of retired senior police officers on the Police Council must be nominated by their official association. According to the writ, Boakye’s appointment bypassed this constitutional requirement and ignored NARPO’s own nomination — ACP (Rtd.) Florence Arthur, who currently serves as the association’s president.
The businesswoman contends that the move not only contravenes the constitutional structure governing appointments to the Police Council but also perpetuates systemic gender bias by excluding a qualified female candidate from public leadership. “This deliberate exclusion,” her writ argues, “is discriminatory and offends Article 17 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality and freedom from discrimination.”
The suit, invoking the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction under Articles 2 and 130 of the Constitution, lists three defendants: COP (Rtd.) Nathan Kofi Boakye, the Police Council, and the Attorney-General.
Simpson insists that the President has no authority under Article 201(f) to unilaterally appoint a representative of retired senior police officers, as that role is reserved for a nominee from NARPO. She is therefore asking the court to compel the President and the Police Council to recognize ACP (Rtd.) Arthur as the rightful appointee.
The case brings into sharp focus the broader issues of transparency, gender equity, and adherence to constitutional processes in the composition of national governance institutions.
If upheld, the challenge could not only reset the Police Council’s current composition but also set a precedent for how civil society actors and associations influence appointments to constitutional bodies.
Legal observers say the outcome could have far-reaching implications for executive discretion in public appointments, particularly where statutory nominations are involved.
