Two months after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) assumed office, Mensah Thompson, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), has voiced strong concerns over the continued presence of key appointees from the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration in crucial government institutions.
His concerns, articulated in a recent statement, reflect growing dissatisfaction among certain sections of the NDC support base, particularly regarding appointments and the overall direction of governance.
“President Akufo-Addo’s Minerals Commission CEO Martin Ayisi who signed off dubious concessions and facilitated a lot of the illegal mining activities that heralded President Akufo-Addo’s regime is still at post three months after the NDC assumed office. Three good months!!”
Mensah Thompson, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA)
Given the NDC’s strong anti-galamsey stance, especially during the 2024 general election campaign, Thompson finds it incomprehensible that Mr Ayisi remains in office months into the new administration.
His frustration stems from the perception that the fight against illegal mining, a critical factor that contributed to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) electoral defeat, is being undermined by the retention of individuals whose actions were allegedly detrimental to the environment and national interest.
NDC’s Appointments Under Scrutiny
Beyond Ayisi’s continued tenure, Mensah Thompson also took issue with recent appointments within the aviation sector.
He highlighted the appointment of Madam Obuobia Darko-Opoku, an NDC stalwart, as a Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).
His concern, however, is that Yvonne Afriyie Opare, an appointee under the former President Akufo-Addo government, remains in her position within the same entity, despite the change in government.
“The ‘Reset Candidate’ should be a deputy to the ‘Corrupt Outgone’s’ candidate?” Thompson questioned, implying that individuals linked to the previous administration should not be holding influential roles in a government that campaigned on a platform of resetting governance norms.
His analogy was even more scathing: “If a tree is corrupt or has gone bad, definitely its branches cannot be edible!” This metaphor suggests that the NDC should be more thorough in uprooting remnants of what it criticized as a corrupt and ineffective regime.
Tension Over CEO Appointments and Deputy Assignments
Mensah Thompson also raised concerns about the elevation of some deputy CEOs from the previous government to substantive CEOs under the NDC administration.
This trend, he believes, is a risky political move that may lead to unintended consequences.
According to him, some hardcore NDC party members who were instrumental in drafting the party’s manifesto—the very blueprint upon which the government’s policies for the next four years are built—are only being appointed as deputies.
Meanwhile, Thompson noted that individuals who served under the previous New Patriotic Party’s administration are being placed in more powerful positions.
He warned that such decisions could come back to haunt the NDC, as these appointees may not fully align with the government’s vision or could even sabotage its efforts from within.
The ASEPA Executive Director did not just voice his concerns—he issued a firm ultimatum. He has vowed to organize a mass demonstration against the government if Martin Ayisi is not removed from office within seven days.
“As for Martin Ayisi, I will organize a mass demonstration against the government if he is not removed from office in seven days. We did not suffer for nothing!!!”.
Mensah Thompson, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA)
This ultimatum signals a potential flashpoint between the government and sections of its support base, particularly civil society actors and party loyalists who expect a swifter alignment of appointments with the NDC’s core principles and campaign promises.
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