The Supreme Court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by IMANI Africa challenging the extent of the President’s constitutional powers over the appointment and removal of heads of Ghana’s security agencies.
A seven-member panel of the Court, presided over by Justice Gabriel Pwamang, ruled that the plaintiffs failed to establish sufficient grounds for their claims and consequently dismissed all reliefs sought.
The case, filed in 2024 by IMANI Africa in collaboration with security analyst Professor Kwesi Aning, sought to restrict what the plaintiffs described as excessive presidential discretion in appointing and dismissing heads of key security institutions.
In its judgment, the Court distinguished between various security positions, stating that offices such as the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of Prisons do not fall under the protections outlined in Article 191 of the Constitution.
The Court further held that the Chief Fire Officer and the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service serve under statutory arrangements that place their appointments within the President’s constitutional remit as head of the national security structure.
The plaintiffs had argued that the Constitution should be interpreted to limit the President’s authority to remove certain security chiefs without just cause, but the Court found no legal basis to support that position.
The ruling effectively affirms the President’s constitutional role in constituting and managing key security leadership positions within the country’s security architecture.
