The Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana has made a clarion call to President John Dramani Mahama to stop the ongoing terminations of appointments in the public service. The TUC in statement issued by the Secretary General, Joshua Ansah, dated Tuesday (February 25, 2025) noted that the mass termination of employment of teachers, nurses among others, who have been educated at great cost to their families and the nation and who may have stayed at home for years struggling to obtain employment can be devastating for these young men and women.
He argued that it is a blot on our democratic credentials and it can also completely sap the patriotism of these young men and women.
“We expect President Mahama to stop the country from sliding further down the partisan slippery hill” he appealed.
He indicated just like the amnesty the President has granted to individuals who were recruited by the previous administration and who are currently undergoing training with the various security agencies, the President should grant all appointments done by the previous administration similar amnesty.
Mr. Ansah added this will be the greatest political settlement of the 4th Republic and it will ripple in eternity and reset the politics of Ghana.
“We find the directive by the Chief of Staff very problematic, to say the least. Not only is his directive open to abuse but we find it extremely difficult to understand how Government could describe all appointments or recruitments made after 7th December, 2024 as not in compliance with good governance practices and principles”.
Following the directive, the TUC Secretary General said, “We have received reports of mass revocation of appointments including appointments that were done before December 7, 2024. In some of the organisations people who have been on contract for 5 years or more and whose appointments were only regularised in December, 2024, have been terminated losing even their contract status. This must be heart-breaking for these young men and women who are likely to be entering the labour market for the first time.”
Mr. Joshua Ansah observed that the issue of midnight appointments/recruitments has been a recurring practice that has alternated between successive governments led by the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party.
He affirmed that statements from both the NPP and NDC on this matter clearly demonstrate their insincerity and inconsistency in their pronouncements and policies.
“In 2016, when H.E. John Dramani Mahama met with the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference after the elections he insisted that he remained the President and was responsible for steering the affairs of the country until he officially hands over power on January 7, 2017. He appointed new Commissioners for CHRAJ and NCCE and a new Auditor General. He even increased allowances for National Service Personnel.
The NPP vehemently protested and condemned these actions by President Mahama. In a statement on December 21, 2016, the Head of NPPs Transition Team, Yaw Osafo Marfo described Mahama’s appointments as “most disappointing and exhibits bad faith” he recounted.
“Today, the NPP has done exactly what it strongly condemned in 2016. The NDC is not only condemning what the NPP has done but it is taking measures that are leading to the termination of thousands of employments of mostly young Ghanaians, some of whom have gone through the appropriate recruitment processes to secure their first jobs” he stressed.
