Within the first six weeks of 2026 from January through the first week of February the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has overseen the promotion of 12,802 police officers across the country.
The elevations, spanning ranks from Lance Corporal to Chief Inspector, largely address a longstanding backlog of promotions. In many instances, the delayed advancements date back between five and 10 years.
The development was confirmed by the IGP’s Secretariat following multiple inquiries from sections of the media.
According to the Secretariat, the promotions were carried out in accordance with the Police Service Regulations, 2012 (Constitutional Instrument 76). Regulation 37 of C.I. 76 stipulates that promotions within the Ghana Police Service are determined through promotional examinations, seniority, years of service, and satisfactory performance and conduct. It also allows for special promotions based on distinguished acts of bravery, valour in crime prevention, or exceptional duty performance.
The Secretariat clarified that the majority of the promotions were administrative, while others were granted on special recommendation. The announcement comes amid media reports suggesting that the recent promotions were influenced by nepotism. However, the Secretariat strongly rejected those claims, emphasizing that the process was decentralized and supervised by unit, district, divisional, and regional commanders across all 25 police regions nationwide.
It explained that directives were issued to commanders across the country to submit the names of officers who were due for promotion, forming the basis for the final approvals. Furthermore, the Secretariat noted that promotions cannot be executed solely at the discretion of the IGP, as the governing regulations clearly outline the procedure.
Providing a breakdown, the Secretariat stated that approximately 11,900 junior-ranked officers were advanced by one rank, primarily due to meeting the required service period. An additional 600 officers were promoted based on special recommendations.
In several cases, personnel who had remained at the same rank beyond the stipulated four-year period were elevated to the next rank to ensure fairness and boost morale.
“Our officers make immense sacrifices in service to the nation and deserve equitable treatment and recognition, irrespective of their backgrounds,” the Secretariat noted.
The Secretariat also addressed numerous petitions received from officers who alleged unfair treatment. After reviewing their cases — including some who had been on interdiction for over five years — several officers were acquitted, discharged, and subsequently granted their rightful promotions.
Other petitions involved errors in promotion dates that had delayed officers’ career progression. These discrepancies were reviewed and corrected.
Additionally, families of officers who died in the line of duty petitioned the administration. Following assessment of their cases, the deceased officers were granted posthumous promotions.
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