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A Ghanaian businesswoman and gender activist, Henrietta Nana Yaa Simpson, has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court challenging what she describes as the unconstitutional appointment of the Commissioner of Police (Rtd.) Nathan Kofi Boakye to the Ghana Police Council.

In her writ, Ms. Simpson argues that COP (Rtd.) Boakye’s appointment to the position designated for a representative of the National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO) violates both the 1992 Constitution and the Police Service Act.

She insists that the duly elected president of the association, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Rtd.) Florence Arthur should rightfully occupy the Council seat.

According to Ms. Simpson, the Police Council is made up of 10 members as defined by law, including a single representative from NARPO.

She contends that President John Mahama unilaterally appointed Mr. Boakye to represent retired senior police officers without consulting the association or accepting its nominee, ACP (Rtd.) Arthur, the first woman to be elected NARPO president.

Gov't sued over appointment of COP Kofi Boakye to Police Council

The suit, filed on Monday, June 23, 2025, names Mr. Boakye as the first defendant, the Police Council as the second, and the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice as the third.

It invokes the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Articles 2, 130, 17(1), 201, and 296 of the 1992 Constitution and Rule 45 of the Supreme Court Rules (C.I. 16).

Ms. Simpson is seeking several declarations, including:

That the appointment of Mr. Boakye is unconstitutional, null, and void.
That only the National Association of Retired Police Officers has the authority to nominate its representative to the Police Council.
That ACP (Rtd.) Florence Arthur, being the legitimate nominee, qualifies under the law to serve on the Council.
That the President’s refusal to acknowledge the association’s nominee constitutes a breach of Article 201(f).
That the exclusion of ACP (Rtd.) Arthur on account of her rank and gender amounts to discrimination.

She is also asking the court to order the removal of Mr. Boakye from the Council and the installation of ACP (Rtd.) Arthur in his place.

Ms Simpson’s suit asserts that the conduct of the Presidency undermines institutional autonomy, established convention, and constitutional provisions regarding appointments, and that it risks setting a precedent for gender bias in high-level appointments.