Public interest advocate Rodaline Imoru Ayarna has strongly defended the government’s decision to revoke last-minute public sector appointments made before the change of administration.
According to her, the revocation is necessary to ensure fairness, due process, and the proper allocation of public resources, given Ghana’s economic situation.
Ayarna emphasized that there were notable irregularities regarding these appointments. She argued that in a time when the country is financially strained, the government cannot be burdened with a sudden surge of employees whose recruitment process was questionable.
“It is just right for you to say, ‘Let’s have a look at the way this thing is done,’” she said, explaining that those whose appointments were revoked would have an opportunity to reapply when portals are re-opened.
She noted that allegations of favouritism, nepotism, and financial inducements in public-sector employment have persisted for years.
“We are hearing of people having to pay monies to be given positions or to be employed. Now, the whole thing is: Is it that they had the qualifications? Or they paid money and were employed? Or is it that some of them were just given jobs because people took monies to fix them in certain areas?”.
Public Interest Advocate, Rodaline Imoru Ayarna
Ayarna asserted that the new government’s revocation would help streamline public sector employment, ensuring that jobs are advertised for all qualified Ghanaians to apply.
“When there are vacancies in the public service, it is advertised for everyone to have the opportunity to at least apply. If you do well, you go for an interview, you follow all the procedures”.
Public Interest Advocate, Rodaline Imoru Ayarna
Due Process and Financial Considerations
She also questioned whether due process had been followed in making the appointments, asking whether financial clearance was given prior to the recruitment by the immediate past government.
“All these things we need to know,” she argued, adding that the appointments should have been deferred to the incoming government“after the elections, because there’ was no need to rush in that” .
Ayarna recalled how similar actions were taken in the past, notably in 2017 when recruits undergoing military training were dismissed following a change in government. “These are political positions, most of them. Once a change of government comes, yes, you have to go,” she asserted.
She further highlighted the importance of scrutinizing appointments in sensitive professions such as teaching and nursing. For her, ensuring that nurses and teachers are qualified is essential to the well-being of the nation.
“We cannot go and employ nurses who have not gone through the system. We cannot go and employ teachers who probably haven’t gone through the system just because they have come out. When it comes to teaching, the teachers are the ones who will nurture our young ones and our future generations.
“We have problems with people talking about drunken teachers, teachers who don’t go to work, teachers who do not qualify. Not too long ago, we heard the president of the Ghana Medical Association complaining about the number of lawsuits that they are having to deal with because of negligence on the part of setting medical personnel”.
Public Interest Advocate, Rodaline Imoru Ayarna
Political Influence and Elite Previlege
Ayarna also criticized the entrenched political influence in public sector hiring, particularly the advantage enjoyed by the political elite.
She argued that many high-profile jobs were being given out as last-minute appointments, suggesting that such practices should not be normalized.
“You know very well that some people get their jobs not because they are qualified, but because they know somebody. And how come it is that it’s always the political elites who have their children and their siblings in GRA and GNPC?
‘We should not sit back and look at the situation and think that because this is the norm, it should continue. Look, the constitution is there for us to follow”.
Public Interest Advocate, Rodaline Imoru Ayarna
Ayarna also criticized past actions where senior military appointments were manipulated for political reasons, leading to unnecessary confusion within the army.
She stressed that the country should prioritize common sense over political expediency when making decisions that impact public administration.
She dismissed the argument that the President cannot be expected to oversee all appointments in every public institution.
“A good President must be adrift and must know what is happening everywhere. The president is able to go to 275 constituencies. Now it’s 276. He talks to everybody. So why will this one be too much for him?”
Public Interest Advocate, Rodaline Imoru Ayarna
Ayarna also argued that political retaliation and job security in government institutions are intertwined. “Political retaliation goes hand in hand with loyalty to the ruling government. You have their policies and programs to follow,” she stated.
Rodaline Imoru Ayarna’s stance on the matter underscores the need for transparency, meritocracy, and due process in public sector appointments.
She maintained that the government’s decision to revoke last-minute appointments is justified, asserting that this would help ensure that only qualified individuals are employed through proper channels.
She emphasized that the process should be fair, and open and in the best interest of Ghana’s economic and administrative well-being.
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