Accra: The report of a specially appointed committee by the Government to investigate last-minute recruitments and promotions executed by the previous administration during the transition period following the December 7, 2024, general election, has been released. Mr. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Presidential Spokesman and Minister of State in-charge of Communications, unveiled the report's findings at the Government Accountability Series Press Conference held at the Presidency in Accra.
According to Ghana News Agency, the committee recommended that 1,539 of the recruitments, appointments, and promotions be upheld, as they were found to have adhered to the prescribed procedures and had received appointment letters before December 7, 2024. Mr. Ofosu explained that these appointments achieved a pass mark of 80 percent or above. Conversely, the committee advised that 541 recruitments should be revoked because they concluded after the stipulated date and failed to meet the necessary criteria.
The minister highlighted that the committee's recommendation to revoke 541 appointments was less than the 879 revocations already made by the institutions themselves. Special attention was given to vulnerable groups, including Persons with Disabilities, particularly within the Ghana Education Service, during the committee's review process. The revoked appointments were found to be clearly in breach of procedures and guidelines established for public service recruitments.
Mr. Ofosu emphasized that the revocation decision was not politically motivated but rather a step to uphold due process and ensure compliance with established rules. It was executed without malice or ill-feeling, to maintain the rule of law and accountability. The previous government was aware of the non-compliance issues but proceeded with the appointments regardless, disregarding requests from the incoming administration for consultation.
Out of 36 institutions that appeared before the committee, 28 had started the recruitment process before the December 7 directive. Nineteen institutions took the initiative to revoke appointments in response to the directive, while 17 others sought guidance from the President's Office. Sixteen of the reported cases were primarily payroll-related.
In total, 2,080 recruitments, appointments, and promotions were reported to the committee. Of these, 879 were self-revoked by institutions, leaving 1,201 standing appointments. The controversy arose after the Joint Transition Team's first meeting post-election, where concerns were raised about rushed and potentially unlawful recruitments and payments in public institutions.
A statement from the incoming government indicated their intent to revoke such appointments, leading to the Chief of Staff's directive on February 10, 2025, to revoke unlawfully made appointments post-December 7, 2024. However, reports of lawful appointments being affected prompted the formation of a committee to investigate and ensure fairness.
The committee was chaired by Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency, and included Dr. Prince Edward Darah, Commissioner, Public Service Commission, among others. Their mandate was to scrutinize all affected recruitments, assess compliance, and provide recommendations.