Member of Parliament of Sagnarigu, Issah Atta
The Member of Parliament of Sagnarigu, Issah Atta, has recounted how his appointment at the Bank of Ghana was revoked following the change of government in 2017.
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Friday, February 14, 2025, he shared his experience of being caught in a political transition that disrupted his employment opportunity.
Issa Attah stated that the recruitment process for his position began in April 2016, under the previous-National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
He explained that he was interviewed, underwent medical examinations, and was subsequently informed that he had secured the job.
However, three months into his employment, the change in government led to the appointment of a new governor of the Bank of Ghana, and he, along with others, were told to hold on.
“The processes started in April 2016. I was called for interview, I went through medicals and then we’re told that we should start. So, three months into the start of work, there was change of government and immediately they appointed a new governor, we’re told to hold on. We held on for eight years.
“Anytime I am confronted with a topic like this, I feel nostalgic because I was once a victim at the Bank of Ghana,” he remarked.
The legislator, while acknowledging the need to avoid last-minute recruitments, disagreed with the aggressive approach to dismissals.
He stressed that political parties should refrain from using employment as a tool for securing the future of their loyalists after elections.
“I disagree with recruiting people after an election. If the country had the capacity to recruit, why wait until the election outcome is known? It then appears as though the ruling party is simply placing its people in key positions before leaving office,” he argued.
The debate over post-election recruitments and appointments resurfaced recently when Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, issued a directive revoking all public sector appointments and recruitments made after December 7, 2024.
He instructed heads of government institutions to annul such appointments, citing the government’s position on near-end-of-tenure recruitments as inconsistent with good governance principles.
Debrah’s directive mandated all institutions to submit a comprehensive report on the actions taken by February 17, 2025.
JKB/AE
In the meantime, watch the story of the Ghanaian team that rode motorbikes from Accra to Dakar and back in 17 days, below:
