Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, has defended the two-year contract extension granted to Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno by President John Mahama.
According to Kwakye Ofosu, in every rule there is an exception, adding that the decision to extend the IGP’s contract was based on strong security considerations.
He asserted that although the government generally opposes contract renewals, the Yohuno case required special treatment.
Speaking to EIB Network’s Presidential Affairs Correspondent Kwakye Ofosu said, “As a general rule, the government believes that it helps if we do not have a general flat policy of these renewals, but I’m sure that to every rule there is an exception, and especially because this is a security sector-related appointment… surely a case can be made for allowing sufficient time for his policies to percolate, for his initiatives to come to fruition.”
“It is not a unilateral decision taken by the president,” he said.
He added, “The police council… examined the security challenges we have and also looked into what may be required to address them… and came to the conclusion that it will serve the interests of the country at this stage, to have this sort of extension.”
It will be recalled that the Mahama government in April 2025 in a statement released signed by Dr Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, announced that the government announced the suspension of all post-retirement contracts.
The letter stated, “The grant of post-retirement contract appointments to retired public service staff has been suspended with immediate effect”.
“All requests for such appointments will no longer be considered”, the letter added.
Meanwhile, Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, has slammed the John Mahama government over Inspector General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohunu’s two-year contract extension.
Speaking on TV3 New Day, Dr Zaato described IGP’s Yohunu extension as “flip-flopping and hypocrisy in its policy implementations.”
Dr Zaato detailed, “Look, as a matter of principle, I think every president should be given the opportunity, especially when it comes to national security and security issues, to assemble his team. I think the president should be given a free hand when it comes to national security and as long as they are not breaching constitutional laws. They see things we don’t see, they hear things we don’t hear, (sic), and keeping the realm safe and secure is the number one responsibility of the president,” he said on TV3 on November 26, 2025.
“That’s why they are the commander-in-chief, so I believe that the president should not be faced with any challenges when it comes to assembling his national security team. The Inspector General of Police is the core, one of the biggest pillars of their national security, so a president should have that right.
The lecturer continued, “IGP Yohunu is a consummate policeman, law enforcement agent. He’s come inside the system, he’s handled the transition well, and he’s doing his utmost best for the police. I have absolutely no problem with him professionally or in person… The problem is, like everybody is saying, when you see this rampant and flagrant flip-flopping and hypocrisy.”
“… Nobody forced Callistus Mahama to issue that letter… because whenever the secretary of the president writes something and issues a statement, we should be able to take it to the bank. We should be able to know that it is a solid position, but today, when I ask my question, what is the government’s policy on post-retirement contracts?
“There should be policy clarity. It helps people to know because now, people can have the opportunity to read innuendos, read motives into these appointments, just precisely because of what you’ve done. There is [policy inconsistency]. You have two statements. So, what is this government’s policy on this? And this is not the first time we have had this policy inconsistency, and that’s what I’m talking about, the government flip-flopping,” he added.
See the post below:
Every rule has an exception… – Felix Ofosu Kwakye on IGP Yohuno's post-retirement extension#GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/OHuh4hPXPs
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) December 1, 2025