Mr James Oppong-Boanuh was born in 1958 at Aboabo No. 1, Dormaa District in the then Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana.
He obtained his GCE Ordinary and Advanced Levels at the Dormaa Secondary School, Dormaa Ahenkro (1977, 1979).
Commissioner James Oppong-Boanuh is an alumnus of the University of Ghana and the Ghana School of Law. He was called to the Bar and enrolled as a member of the Ghana Bar Association in 1984. COP James Oppong-Boanuh also holds a Masters in Human Rights from the University of Education, Winneba (2015) and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Law and Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon (1982).
Two years (1986-1988) before he started his career with the Ghana Police Service in 1988, he worked as the Legal Officer at the Legal Department of the Agricultural Development Bank in Accra.
He did two years at the Ghana Police Training School and the Ghana Police Academy which included fieldwork at the Accra Central Police Division, graduating in 1990.
During his time with the Ghana Police Service, he has held several command and staff positions including Chief Staff Officer to the Inspector-General of Police (1990-1996); Director-General/Welfare, Director-General/Human Resources; Regional Commander, Director-General/Legal and Prosecutions and Deputy IGP.
Between 1996-2000, James Oppong-Boanuh was the Senior Legal Officer at the National Police Headquarters where he advised the Ghana Police Administration on matters of law on both criminal and civil. He directed and supervised investigations by giving legal advice on case files at both investigations and prosecutions level.
He later worked in the United Nations Mission in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) in 1994 and with the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET) from 2001 to 2002.
From November 2004 to March 2005, he was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). He also served as acting Police Commissioner and head of the Police component of AMIS where he led an Advance Team to set up the Police component of the Mission from scratch.
On August 19, 2010, he took up duties as Police Commissioner to the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on 19 August 2010. He succeeded South African Micheal Fryer. At the UNAMID, he facilitated the appointment of female officers into command positions.
In October 2018, he was granted a one-year contract service as Deputy Director-General of the Police effective October 8, 2018, to October 7, 2019, by President Akufo-Addo.
On Monday, July 22, 2019, he was appointed the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) by President Akufo-Addo.
Mr Oppong-Boanuh will act as IGP until a substantive IGP is appointed in accordance with the Constitution, a statement signed by Eugene Arhin, the Director of Communications of the Presidency said.
His appointment followed a directive by President Akufo-Addo to the IGP, Mr David Asante-Apeatu to proceed on leave, with immediate effect, pending his retirement on August 14, 2019.
He is also on the 10-member Ghana Police Service Council and a member of the Police Management Board.
He has attended several professional courses and training programmes, both at home and abroad, including the Strategic Leadership Course at the Police Staff and Command College, Bramshell in the United Kingdom.
He is married with three children.
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