John Willie Kofi Harlley (9 May 1919 – 18 February 1982) was a Ghanaian police officer who was Vice Chairman of the

National Liberation Council The National Liberation Council (NLC) led the Ghanaian government from 24 February 1966 to 1 October 1969. The body emerged from a ''coup d'état'' against the Nkrumah government carried out jointly by the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Arme ...

and the first

Inspector General of Police An inspector-general of police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most ...

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.

Early years and education

He was born at Akagla in the

Volta Region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi- ...

which was then

British Togoland British Togoland, officially the Mandate Territory of Togoland and later officially the Trust Territory of Togoland, was a territory in West Africa under the administration of the United Kingdom, which subsequently entered a union with Ghana, pa ...

under British jurisdiction following the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He attended Presbyterian Schools at Boso and

Akropong Akropong is a town in South Ghana and is the capital of the Akuapim North District, a district in the Eastern Region of South Ghana. This town is known for producing snails and palm oil.

. He completed his elementary school education at Anloga Presbyterian School in 1936 and later enrolled into the

Accra Academy Accra Academy is a Single-sex education, boys' high school located at Bubuashie near Kaneshie in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. It admits both boarding and day students. Founded as a private school in 1931, it gained the status of a Government ...

where he had his secondary education from 1936 to 1939.

Pre-NLC career

He was an interpreter in Ewe and

Twi Twi (; ) is the common name of the Akan literary language of Asante and Akuapem. Effectively, it is a synonym for 'Akan' that is not used by the Fante people. It is not a linguistic grouping, but more of a common name used by inland Akans as ...

at the district magistrate court, Accra. Then later at the

Supreme Court of Ghana The Supreme Court of Ghana is the highest judicial body in Ghana. Constitution of Ghana, Ghana's 1992 constitution guarantees the independence and separation of the Judiciary of Ghana, Judiciary from the Legislative and the Executive (governm ...

, 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 Hendon is an urban area in the London Borough of Barnet, northwest London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient Manorialism, manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has ...

(now

Hendon Police College Hendon Police College is the principal training centre for London's Metropolitan Police. Founded with the official name of the Metropolitan Police College, the college has officially been known as the Peel Centre since 1974, although its origin ...

) 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.

NLC government

At the time of the February 24, 1966 coup d'état that removed the

Convention People's Party The Convention People's Party (CPP) is a socialist political party in Ghana based on the ideas of the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah. The CPP was formed in June 1949 after Nkrumah broke away from the United Gold Coast Convention (UGC ...

government of Dr.

Kwame Nkrumah Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...

, Harlley was the

Commissioner of Police A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...

, making him the most senior police officer in the country. He was one of the eight members of the

government formed afterward and made vice chairman. 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 ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...

between 1967 and 1968. 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 Lieutenant General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa (24 April 1936 – 26 June 1979) was a Ghanaian soldier, farmer, traditional ruler and politician. He was the head of state of Ghana and leader of the military government in 1969 and then chairman of t ...

and Lt. General

Albert Kwesi Ocran Lieutenant General Albert Kwesi Ocran (21 July 1929 – March 2019) was a soldier and politician. He was a member of the Presidential Commission of Ghana between 1969 and 1970. He is a former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Fo ...

. This commission remained in place even after the handover to the democratically elected Progress Party government of

Kofi Abrefa Busia Kofi Abrefa Busia (11 July 1913 – 28 August 1978) was a Ghanaian political leader and academic who was Prime Minister of Ghana from 1969 to 1972. As a leader and prime minister, he helped to restore civilian government to the country follow ...

. On August 7, 1970, the commission was replaced by an interim President,

Nii Amaa Ollennu Raphael Nii Amaa Ollennu (21 May 1906 – 22 December 1986) was a Ghanaian jurist and judge who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana from 1962 to 1966. He briefly served as acting President of Ghana during the Second Republic in A ...

Honours

* In 1970, he received an

LL.D A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

from the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It is the oldest public university in the country. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the British colony of the Gold Coast ...

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 Anyako is a town in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is bordered at the south by the Keta Lagoon. The inhabitants of the town mainly belong to the Ewe people, Ewe tribe. Tracing its establishment to a settlement founded by the Anlos during the mig ...

in the

. He died on 18 February 1982 in Anyako where he was buried.

References

External links

Ghana-pedia webpage - ''Operation Cold Chop'': The Fall Of Kwame NkrumahPicture of Members of the National Liberation Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harlley, John Willie Kofi 1919 births Ghanaian police officers Ministers for foreign affairs of Ghana Ministers for the interior of Ghana Inspectors general Alumni of the Accra Academy Ghanaian Presbyterians 1982 deaths