Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh, the Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, has called for a comprehensive reset of corporate governance and management in Ghana’s public sector.
He underscored the urgent need for a transformative overhaul to address persistent issues such as inefficiency, corruption, and lack of accountability that have plagued public institutions.
This reset aims to realign the public sector’s operations with principles of good governance, ensuring that state institutions are better equipped to deliver quality services, manage resources responsibly, and regain public trust.
“We should begin to review the SIGA Act and other statutes governing various SOEs and make the necessary amendments to make the recruitment, selection, appraisal, retention, and replacement of CEOs and other top management of the ‘business’ segment of the public sector competitive, meritocratic, professional, and performance/results-based”.
Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh
Prof. Prempeh proposed a critical examination of Article 195 of the Constitution, noting that it is not an entrenched clause and therefore can be amended more easily.
He emphasized the need to revise this provision to curtail the President’s extensive powers in appointing individuals to positions within the corporate public sector. This, he argued, is essential for fostering a more professional and depoliticized public service.
Article 195 grants the President the authority to appoint individuals to key roles in various public institutions, often leading to appointments based on political affiliations rather than merit.
Prof. Prempeh highlighted that this practice undermines the efficiency and integrity of public sector governance, as it often results in the placement of party loyalists rather than qualified professionals.
He suggested that amending this article would help establish a framework prioritizing competence and expertise over political connections.
This change would not only enhance the professionalism of public sector management but also reduce the influence of partisan politics, which often compromises the effectiveness of governance.
Accordingly, Prof. Prempeh pointed out that a depoliticized public sector is crucial for sustainable national development.
Calls for Overhaul of Flawed SOE Governance Model
Furthermore, Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh emphasized that the long-standing model of governance in Ghana’s State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), characterized by being “state-owned, party-controlled, and politician-managed,” is fundamentally flawed and outdated.
He argued that this approach, which has been in place since the country gained independence, is ill-suited to meet the demands of modern governance and economic management.
Prof. Prempeh highlighted that this model has proven detrimental, not only to the economy but also to the political landscape, pointing out that the current model has had a corrosive effect on the country’s political environment.
“We run–and squander–too much money through entities like COCOBOD, GNPC, Ghana Gas, etc. for us to continue to staff and manage them in the 21st century essentially the same way we’ve been doing since the early CPP days, i.e. based on party networks and criteria”.
Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh
Accordingly, Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh emphasized that any discussions about a comprehensive “RESET” of Ghana’s governance and economic systems would be superficial and ineffective without a fundamental overhaul of how the country governs and manages its SOEs.
He asserted that this sector is pivotal to the state’s economic health and national development, and without significant reforms, efforts to revitalize and transform the economy would fall short.
He pointed out that former President John Mahama, in his bid to make a lasting impact, has a unique opportunity to drive this transformation.
By championing and implementing these critical reforms, Mahama could set a new standard for governance in the SOE sector, leaving a legacy of robust and effective public enterprise management.
Prempeh stressed that such a legacy would not only benefit the economy but also strengthen public confidence in government institutions, marking a significant step forward in Ghana’s development journey.
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