John Willie Kofi Harlley

John Willie Kofi Harlley (9 May 1919[2] – 18 February 1982) was a Ghanaian police officer who was Vice Chairman of the National Liberation Council and the first Inspector General of Police in Ghana from 1966 to 1969. He was a member of the three-man presidential commission which carried out presidential functions during the 1969 democratic transition in Ghana and in the first year of the Second Republic.[3]

John Willie Kofi Harlley
Vice Chairman of the National Liberation Council
In office
24 February 1966 – 1969
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byPosition dissolved
1st Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service
In office
1966–1969
Preceded byHimself as Commissioner of Police
Succeeded byB. A. Yakubu
Minister of Interior
In office
1968 – August 1969
Preceded byAnthony Deku
Succeeded bySimon Diedong Dombo
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
1967–1968
Preceded byJoseph Arthur Ankrah
Succeeded byPatrick Dankwa Anin
Commissioner of Police
In office
1964–1966
Preceded byE. R. T. Madjitey
Succeeded byHimself as Inspector General of Police
Personal details
Born(1919-05-09)9 May 1919
Akagla, Volta Region, Ghana[1]
Died18 February 1982(1982-02-18) (aged 62)
Anyako, Volta Region
NationalityGhana Ghanaian
SpouseNancy Harlley (née Woanyah)
EducationAccra Academy

Early years and education

He was born at Akagla in the Volta Region which was then British Togoland under British jurisdiction following the World War I. He attended Presbyterian Schools at Boso and Akropong. He completed his elementary school education at Anloga Presbyterian School in 1936 and later enrolled into the Accra Academy where he had his secondary education from 1936 to 1939.[4][5][2]

Pre-NLC career

He was an interpreter in Ewe and Twi at the district magistrate court, Accra. Then later at the Supreme Court of Ghana, before enlisting in the Gold Coast Police just a week before his 21st birthday in May 1940. He became an inspector in November 1952 and was selected for training at the Metropolitan Police College, Hendon (now Hendon Police College) in 1953. On his return to Ghana he progressed from the rank of assistant Superintendent of Police to become the commissioner of police in 1965.[5][6][7][8]

NLC government

At the time of the February 24, 1966 coup d'état that removed the Convention People's Party government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Harlley was the Commissioner of Police, making him the most senior police officer in the country. He was one of the eight members of the National Liberation Council government formed afterward and made vice chairman.[9]

He remained in his office as the head of the police force in the new designation as Inspector-General of Police and in addition, assumed ministerial responsibility for the interior between 1966 and 1969 and foreign affairs between 1967 and 1968.[10]

On 3 September 1969, a presidential commission was formed which carried out presidential functions during the 1969 democratic transitional process in Ghana. Harlley was a member of the three-man commission whose other members were Lt. General Akwasi Afrifa and Lt. General Albert Kwesi Ocran. This commission remained in place even after the handover to the democratically elected Progress Party government of Kofi Abrefa Busia. On August 7, 1970, the commission was replaced by an interim President, Nii Amaa Ollennu.[3]

Honours

Personal life and death

Harlley was married to Nancy Harlley (née Woanyah). Following his service in government, Harlley spent the rest of his life in his hometown Anyako in the Volta Region. He died on 18 February 1982 in Anyako where he was buried.[11]

References
  1. Europa Publications Limited (1975). Africa South of the Sahara. Europa Publications Limited. ISBN 9780900362750. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  2. "The New Ghana". Accra, Ghana Information Services Department. 1966. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. Roberto Ortiz de Zárate. "Leaders of Ghana". World Political Leaders 1945–2007. Zárate's Political Collections. Archived from the original on 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
  4. "African Biographies, Volume 2". African Biographies. Verlag Neue Gesellschaft: 46. 1971.
  5. Baynham, Samuel (1988). The military and politics in Nkrumah's Ghana.
  6. "The New Ghana". Accra, Ghana Information Services Department. 1966. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. The rebirth of Ghana, the end of tyranny. 1966.
  8. Vieta, K. T (1999). The flagbearers of Ghana: profiles of one hundred distinguished Ghanaians.
  9. "Nkrumah's Overthrow!". News archive. Ghana Home Page. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
  10. B. Schemmel. "Foreign ministers E-K - Ghana". Lists of heads of state of government and ministers of various countries. Rulers.org. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
  11. "Anyako: Largest Island On The Keta Lagoon". GhanaWeb. 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
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