Akufo-Addo governing with coup mentality – Bongo MP

NDC Member of Parliament for Bongo constituency, Edward Bawa, says the rate at which the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is firing people from the public service without recourse to the law suggests that the Ghanaian leader is governing with a coup mentality.

According to him, the tactics or strategy adopted by the government under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regime in sacking civil and public servant officials is an affront to the 1992 Constitution and other laws of the land.

He said ever since power was handed over the NPP, the best that government officials could do was to give a one day or some few hours notice in relieving civil and public servant officials perceived to be either members or sympathizers of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of their post.

Bawa interacting with Akwasi Nsiah on Si Me So on Kasapa 102.5 FM, Wednesday, May 17, 2017, said such attitude by the new administration could be likened to a coup de tat.

“In Tamale Dr. Prosper Akambo, the CEO of Tame Teaching Hospital had his offices locked up by the Kandahar boys. What kind of lawlessness is this? If you look at the tenure of office of these heads of civil and public service, it is protected by an Act of Parliament or by the Constitution.

Now, the Administrator of the Get Fund – the person’s position is guaranteed by the constitution for four years.

The one appointed must go through prior vetting by Parliament. But today, as we speak, he has been told to proceed on leave. They have brought in Madam Irene Naa Torshie Addo who is acting without even prior approval by Parliament.”

“Head of Local Government Services is protected by the Local Government Act. If you look at it, the head has been asked to also proceed on leave.

They have therefore brought in a politician. Ridge Hospital – just about two or three days ago, they told Dr. Thomas Anaba that … – can you imagine a whole regional hospital with all the other things that you have – early in the morning, they called him that he should hand over to another person. By 5:00 pm, they brought the Regional Director of Health Services that he (Thomas Anaba) should hand over to him. And the gentleman said look I have been running a big hospital.

How do I handover within this short notice? It is the same thing that they did to Richard Anamong at GPHA. So, tell me, is it not a coup mentality? Where they think that they cannot change the person, then they will unleash these unguarded hooligans into your office. You dare them and see what they do to you,” he noted.