Minority Leader faults mass sacking of workers …says recruitment process started long before elections

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Osahen Alexander  Afenyo-Markin, has protested a directive from Government to revoke the appointments of all appointees and recruits enlisted into the public service after the December 7, 2024 elections.

Speaking in Parliament last Friday, Afenyo-Markin explained that the said directive issued by the Chief-of Staff, Julius Debrah may have been a well intended one but in practice has become counter-productive, unjust, unfair and ought to be reviewed with a sense of urgency.

He explained that the processes of employing workers into the civil and public service are in stages and do not happen overnight therefore it could not have been that all persons employed after December 7 were handpicked and rushed into employment to satisfy a partisan interest.

“State institutions have been issuing termination letters, revoking appointments and it is causing a lot of trauma to the youth of the country who have been employed by the State. I have seen letters from the GRA, from Ghana Water, from GRIDCO and of particular concern is the Ghana Health Service;  Health professionals who were recruited have been given letters to go home. Teachers who were recruited have been given letters to go home.

“Recruitment is not an event; it is a process. It is not just a day that an institution would get up, call someone and give a letter.  In our own Parliament here, recruitments started as far back as June but it was only in January that some of them got their letters. They go through interviews, do aptitude test, have to pass medicals”, Afenyo-Markin noted.

The Minority Leader said the affected workers are Ghanaians and their plight should be of concern to President John Mahama and the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.

Afenyo-Markin quoted a Tweet from John Mahama published on May 26, 2017 which condemned the mass dismissal of Ghanaians workers in the Public Services simply because their appointment letters were dated after Election Day in December 2016.

John Mahama in the Tweet had noted that “These workers are all citizens and like all Ghanaians have rights which must be protected”

A similar Tweet from John Mahama on same date said “bad precedents for our governance. Mass sacking of workers by the NPP govt unacceptable”

Afenyo-Markin told Parliament that though there was an initial attempt by the New Patriotic Party led Government to dismiss the said workers, the attempt never saw the light of day after broader consultations and dialogue.

The Minority Leader said that was how come that in March 2017, President Akufo-Addo, who was barely three months in office, attended the passing out ceremony of the Ghana Immigration Service recruits who started training in after the December 7 2016 elections.

Afenyo-Markin noted further: “knowing Hon. Julius Debrah, perhaps he meant well. I do not think that the intention of this letter was for State institutions to revoke appointments; I believe that perhaps, some clarity would have to be given. If he says that in the interest of good governance practices, all appointments after December 7 should be revoked, is it the case that even where the process had started  long ago but the time that you were given your letter is post December 7, you should lose your job?”

A February 10, 2025 letter from Julius Debrah to heads of State institutions read: “Consistent with Government pronouncement in relation to near end of tenure appointments and recruitments, I wish to bring to your attention that all appointments and recruitments made in the Public Services of Ghana after 7th December, 2024 are not in compliance with established good governance practices and principles.

“Accordingly, all Heads of Government Institutions are hereby requested to take the necessary steps to annul any such appointments or recruitments and submit a comprehensive report on the actions taken to this Office by 17th February 2025.”

MAJORITY LEADER RESPONDS

The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, in his response to the issues raised by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the new government cannot be  entirely blamed for the development.

Mr. Ayariga explained that the Transition Team discovered that after December 7, NPP appointees who were still in office as Ministers were rushing thousands of new recruits through the processes to get them appointment letters  without taking into consideration whether or not the incoming government has the ability to contain and even pay them.

Mr. Ayariga said the out-going Ministers refused to heed any advice or caution even when their attention was drawn to the risks of the decision they were taking.