Ghana’s newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), COP Christian Tetteh Yohonu, is already at the center of a heated debate—before he even settles into his role. The issue? His age.
During a parliamentary session on March 18, 2025, the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, raised eyebrows with a pointed question: How old is the new IGP, really?
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin
A Hidden Age Controversy? In
A statement from the Minister for Government Communications confirmed that Yohonu had served in the Ghana Police Service for 40 years. Simple math suggests that if he joined at 20, he should now be 60. But if he entered at 18, that raises a whole new set of questions about recruitment standards and retirement policies.
Why does this matter? Because the previous IGP, COP George Akuffo Dampare, was just 55 years old when he left office—seemingly with a few more years to serve before retirement. So why replace a younger IGP with an older one? And will Yohonu’s tenure be so short that Ghana will soon be looking for another police chief?
Parliament’s Concerns: Afenyo-Markin Speaks Out
Afenyo-Markin didn’t hold back in Parliament, making it clear that this issue wouldn’t be brushed aside.
“The Minister, in his answer, took the opportunity to introduce the new IGP.
I want to congratulate him on his appointment. But suffice it to say that the statement from the Minister responsible for Government Communications told the country that the new IGP has spent 40 years in the service. At the right time, we will calculate—did he enter at 20, 19, or 18? That’s just by the way. I wish him well. But I’m only doing the mathematics as to whether the IGP is going to retire very soon.”
His remarks, though seemingly lighthearted, hint at a deeper concern: Was the appointment politically motivated? Was it rushed? And is Ghana’s police leadership being handled with transparency?
What Next?
While the government has yet to respond to the brewing controversy, one thing is clear—this won’t die down anytime soon. The Minority Leader has signaled a deeper probe into the matter, and Ghanaians will be watching closely.
Is this a simple case of miscalculated numbers, or is there more to the story? Let the debate begin.
