The majority leader in Parliament, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, has defended the Chief of Staff’s revocation of all appointments and recruitments made by the previous administration into public service establishments after the December 7th elections, describing it as “consistent with good governance”.
Though revoking several of these appointments and recruitments has sparked controversial reactions from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which deems it ill-advised and, in poor taste, the new government remains resolute in its decision.
“I served as a member of the transition team and I recall that during that period, there was a mad rush to employ people, even after a party had lost an election and was on its way out”.
“After December 7, we saw Ministers in a hurry to have people interviewed and taken through the processes so that they could be officially served with employment letters”
Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader in Parliament and MP for Bawku Central
According to him, these employments warranted objections raised by representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during joint meetings of the transition teams but, were ignored by the NPP who were then in power.
“We told our counterparts, who were outgoing ministers, that that practice must stop because a number of issues are implicated,” Ayariga recounted.
He told parliament of the concerns raised back then, over the post-December 7 appointments and recruitments.
One was the importance of having a “fiscal space before you make decisions to employ people”, otherwise you have a problem where you cannot pay workers, which is what the NPP was creating for them.
Ayariga described these actions of the outgoing administration as leaving the incoming administration with problems that it “cannot deal with” since they were basically “crafting” fiscal spaces for them.
The new administration had not told the public whether or not they had available money to “commit to paying workers” or wanted to.
Regardless of these issues, the NPP insisted they were still in power as “the validly established government of the republic of Ghana”, until January 7th when President Mahama would be sworn in, and could therefore do as they pleased.
They firmly banked on their position and refused to rescind any of their appointments or put a stop to further recruitment.
“If you engage in such recklessness when you know you are leaving office, and you decide to load the public sector with workers that will make it difficult for the incoming government, what do you expect?”
Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader in Parliament and MP for Bawku Central
“I think that what the chief of staff has done is proper,” Ayariga said, defending the work of the President’s Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.
He declared them in alignment with principles of good governance, which the current government is keen on observing. They “will review the recruitments that took place” and “reverse” them as “indicated”.
Even more disturbing about the employments that the NPP made after losing the December 7th elections, was the fact that the recruitment processes were shrouded.
“There were no proper advertisements” he said, regarding the lack of transparency in the way and manner people were given jobs in the last days of the NPP government.
“People sat down and then just agreed among themselves, brought together family members, brought together foot soldiers, and then they went and recruited them. That was what happened”
Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader in Parliament and MP for Bawku Central
A directive has been issued to Heads of all Government Institutions to take actionable steps to nullify all post-election recruitments and appointments, and to submit a report to the office of the Chief of Staff by 17th February, 2025.
Near end of tenure appointments and recruitments are not new, neither are their termination and revocations by new governments when they assume office.
The NDC administration has premised its revocation of all such appointments made last year on non-compliance with established good governance practices and principles.
