In the corridors of governance, leadership transitions mark not just a shift in personalities but a transformation in priorities, policies, and vision. Across the world, it is common practice—an established international norm—that contracts, especially those with profound societal impact, are renegotiated when a new administration takes office. This principle isn’t just procedural; it is a moral obligation to ensure fairness, adaptability, and continuity in governance.
Yet, in Ghana, as the nurses’ strike drags on, the current leadership seems reluctant to revisit agreements that no longer serve the people effectively. The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has made its stance clear: their working conditions must improve, yet negotiations remain gridlocked. This raises a fundamental question—why resist an internationally recognized approach that allows governments to review and refine agreements?
The refusal to renegotiate contracts in times of transition places undue hardship on key sectors, especially healthcare, where lives are quite literally at stake. Across the globe, governments inherit challenges from their predecessors, but responsible leadership recognizes that stubborn adherence to outdated agreements serves no one. In the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and numerous other nations, new administrations routinely revisit contracts—whether in healthcare, education, infrastructure, or finance—to ensure alignment with national goals and economic realities.
Ghana, too, must embrace this standard. The people deserve leaders who respond to evolving needs, not ones who rigidly uphold past agreements that fail to deliver progress. The nurses’ strike has illuminated the stark need for decisive action. The longer the government resists renegotiation, the deeper the crisis becomes—not just for the healthcare workers but for every Ghanaian relying on medical care.
A new government has the moral duty, the legal right, and the international precedent to reopen negotiations and create an equitable resolution. Leadership is about responsibility, not stubbornness. If Ghana’s leaders wish to uphold the best practices of governance, they must act swiftly to restore fairness, justice, and stability in this critical sector.
The time for hesitation has passed—renegotiate the contract, secure the future, and honor the global standard of leadership.
Retired Senior Citizen
Teshie-Nungua
[email protected]
