The 2024 Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to be a President for all Ghanaians and reverse the unfair dismissals of Ghanaians who were legitimately employed during the previous administration.
The former Vice President in a statement on Facebook dated Wednesday (February 20, 2024) noted that the least a party that campaigned on jobs could do under conditions of unemployment is to also innovate and create jobs rather than dismiss people.
“Since assuming office, however, the government of President Mahama has pursued a series of actions targeting Ghanaians who were legitimately employed during the previous administration. It is ironic that a party which campaigned on the wings of jobs for all Ghanaians is arbitrarily dismissing the same Ghanaians, rendering them jobless, just because a different government employed them to put their talents to bear on the nation’s development and earn income to cater for themselves and their families” he asserted.
Regrettably, Dr Bawumia intimated that these dismissals have been extended to directors who are public servants and not politicians, stressing in some of the cases, the only reason for dismissal was that the persons whose livelihoods have been destroyed are known to or related to politicians as if to suggest that they cannot live independent professional lives, however qualified they are.
He added there are also reports of government’s intention to terminate the appointments of persons performing critical jobs such security personnel, nurses, and teachers simply because they were appointed during the tenure of the previous administration, stating that will be most unfortunate.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia further expressed concern about the general atmosphere of insecurity with attacks on Journalists, the use of military to raid the homes of former government officials and communities, as well as mobs attacking innocent individuals and state institutions.
“Ghanaians understood the promise of change to mean discarding the ills associated with the governance of our nation since 1992 and also an opportunity to show the way for future governments. There is no reset by repeating or escalating what may have happened in the past.”
He emphasized this development is rather reminiscent of a military takeover and not a peaceful democratic transition. “These are certainly worrying times for our democracy, and the earlier action is taken to protect institutions and democratic practice, the better it would be for Ghana’s forward match” he posited.
