Akufo-Addo sacks 13,000 public sector workers

In what is been described as reenactment of the dismissal of some 568 selected public servants by their forebear government of Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia, President Akufo-Addo has in the last five months sacked a staggering 13,000 public sector workers.

The dismissed public servants, most of who were hired during the eight year rule of the National Democratic Congress administration, have been shown the exit in fulfillment of the NPP government’s policy to dispense with the services of government workers suspected of being sympathizers of the NDC and, were employed under the Mahama administration.

Senior members of the governing party are on record to have openly threatened the replacement of suspected NDC public servants with their (NPP) supporters.

Leading members of the NPP including Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko; Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Opare-Osei among orders have since been advising President Akufo-Addo to replace all public sector workers suspected of being sympathizers of the NDC with members of the New Patriotic Party.

To satisfy NPP kingpins calling for the dismissal of suspected NDC inclined public servants, President Akufo-Addo has embarked on extensive and vigorous firing of public sector workers in a “Rambo style” akin to NPP’s most cherished forebear, Prime Minister Busia’s sacking of 568 workers in 1969.

First government of the Danquah-Busia tradition under the Progress Party, led by the then Prime mister, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, summarily dismissed 568 public workers without reason in pursuant of Section 9 (1) of the Transitional Provisions under the 1969 Constitution.

Mr Sallah, then a GNTC Manager who was also, a victim of the ‘Apollo 568’ challenged the legality of his dismissal through to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court by a majority decision ruled against the Busia government. But to the surprise and disappointment of many, particularly, those who believed in democracy, rule of law and respect for the judiciary, Prime Minister Busia in a highly emotional radio and television broadcast on the night of April 20, 1970 attacked the judgment of the Supreme Court, boasted and stated emphatically that, “No court could enforce any decision that sought to compel the government to employ or redeploy anyone”.

Similarly, forty seven years down the line, NPP government, an offspring of Danquah-Busia tradition under President Akufo Addo; over 13000 public sector workers have been dismissed and still counting.

The sacked public sector workers include the 9,639 workers as revealed by the Minority in Parliament in February this year.

According to the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, 205 employees of the National Service Scheme were unceremoniously dismissed by President Akufo-Addo in the first month of administration.

This was followed with the dismissal of 110 middle level staff of COCOBOD and 8,634 Nurses who had received financial clearance and had been employed in various public health institutions.

The Akufo-Addo government, then extended its dismissal spree to the Ghana Police Service were 265 Police recruits who had reached advanced stages of training had their dreams of entering the police service crushed.

The National Security was not spared President Akufo-Addo’s rod as 525 personnel were shown the exit without just cause. Over 200 staffs of the National Health Insurance Authority suspected of being NDC have also been sent home.

The Akufo-Addo government has also terminated the employment of 216 Beneficiary Monitoring Assistants of the Youth Enterprise Agency (YEA). Some civil servants at the seat of government, the Flag Staff House, hired under the Mahama government have all been summarily dismissed.

Last week, over 100 employees of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority also had the employments terminated by the Akufo-Addo government.

Employees of MASLOC, NADMO, YES, SSNIT, VRA, GRIDCO, GRA, GAPOHA, TOR, Ghana Gas Company, and Immigration Service among others have all been sent home.

Aside Heads of State Institutions who were forced into voluntarily resignation or retirement, following the defeat of the NDC in last year’s election, President Akufo-Addo has virtually removed all Heads of State organizations whose appointments were not necessarily political.

The latest dismissal that have generated discussions in the media was the sacking of Communication Director of Ghana Gas, Alfred Ogbamey; Controller and Accountant General, Mr Seidu Kotomah and Medical Director of the Ridge Regional Hospital, Dr Thomas Anaba.

The aL-hAJJ is also reliably informed that the Akufo-Addo government has targeted some employees in some key institutions of state with alleged sympathizers to the opposition NDC to be asked to go home in the coming days. Stay tuned