In the wake of President John Dramani Mahama’s decisive action to terminate the last-minute appointments made by the outgoing administration, a section of the opposition and their sympathisers have sought to misrepresent this necessary step as a political vendetta. However, any objective observer would recognise that this move is not only justified but a critical intervention to prevent the reckless politicisation of the public sector.
A government that has lost the mandate of the people has no moral right to rush into appointments after its defeat, especially when such recruitments were clearly engineered to saddle the incoming administration with party loyalists, rather than qualified professionals. The facts surrounding these recruitments are troubling—some were backdated, others bypassed standard hiring procedures, and most were conducted in secrecy with no regard for transparency or meritocracy. It is, therefore, disingenuous for the opposition to now cry foul over the President’s action when they know very well that these appointments were a calculated attempt to undermine his administration.
Constitutional and Legal Justification
It is important to remind critics that President Mahama’s action is firmly rooted in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. Article 195(1) unequivocally states that the President is responsible for appointing public officers, either directly or through a delegated authority. If the power to appoint rests with the President, then it naturally follows that he also has the authority to review and, where necessary, revoke any appointments that were made under suspicious circumstances, particularly those orchestrated after the electoral defeat of the previous government.
Additionally, the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) outlines the principles of fair recruitment and employment. The manner in which these appointments were carried out—without a competitive process, without clear vacancies, and in undue haste—renders them illegitimate. In fact, it raises serious questions about whether the outgoing government engaged in fraudulent employment schemes, which could amount to causing financial loss to the state under Section 179A of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). If the opposition wants a legal argument, the laws are clear: the President has both the constitutional authority and the moral obligation to act.
Hypocrisy at Its Peak
It is laughable to hear the NPP crying foul over these terminations when they did the exact same thing, but on an even larger scale, when they took power in 2017. The Akufo-Addo-led government dismissed thousands of workers recruited under the Mahama administration, including personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Youth Employment Agency (YEA), and several other state institutions. Did we hear any outrage from these same people back then? Their silence was deafening. Now, because the tables have turned, they suddenly find their voices.
The reality is that the NPP’s 2017 purge was far more ruthless. They went as far as forcibly removing people from their offices, locking up public institutions, and in some cases, even using security forces to intimidate perceived NDC sympathisers. Their current cries of injustice are, therefore, not only hypocritical but insulting to the intelligence of Ghanaians who have witnessed their double standards firsthand.
Ending the Cycle of Political Job-Fixing
The biggest tragedy in all of this is that Ghana’s public sector has, for far too long, been used as a dumping ground for party loyalists instead of a merit-based institution for national development. Successive governments have engaged in this practice, and it is time to bring it to an end. President Mahama must not be deterred by the noise from the opposition. His administration should take this opportunity to implement structural reforms to ensure that public sector jobs are awarded based on competence, not party affiliation.
Moving forward, there must be strict regulations on public sector recruitment, including a ban on last-minute employment during transitions of power. Competitive hiring processes must be mandated by law, and a neutral body should oversee all recruitments to ensure fairness and transparency. This will not only improve efficiency within the civil service but will also prevent future administrations from engaging in similar political patronage schemes.
Punishing Those Responsible
Furthermore, those responsible for orchestrating these last-minute recruitments must be held accountable. If any officials within the outgoing government engaged in fraudulent employment practices—such as backdating appointment letters, bypassing the Public Services Commission, or creating non-existent positions—then they must face the full rigors of the law. Corruption is not just about embezzling funds; it is also about manipulating public institutions for selfish political gains.
If Ghana is serious about good governance, then these individuals must not be allowed to walk free. The Attorney General should open investigations into how these appointments were made, and if wrongdoing is found, those involved must be prosecuted. Otherwise, this cycle will continue in the future, with each government attempting to outdo the previous one in political job-fixing.
A Call for Sober Reflection
To the opposition, we say this: governance is not about entrenching your people in public institutions to frustrate a new administration. It is about serving the Ghanaian people with honesty and integrity. The election was lost, and the people of Ghana made their choice clear. President Mahama has every right to shape his administration with people who are competent, dedicated, and capable of delivering his agenda.
To those within the NDC who may be hesitant about these decisions, let us be guided by a simple truth: you cannot reset a broken system while keeping the very elements that caused the damage in place. The President has a mandate to fix Ghana, and that means removing all obstacles—be they financial, structural, or personnel-related—that stand in the way of progress.
Let us support this necessary purge, not because it is politically expedient, but because it is the right thing to do. If we are truly committed to building a better Ghana, then we must start by ensuring that our public sector serves the nation, not just the political class.
In the end, Ghana must win.
