Benjamin Kofi Quashie, Chair of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Council of Elders in South Africa, has called for amendments to Ghana’s Transition Act to better align with the country’s governance structure.
He defended the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, stating that the annulment of recruitments and employment after the 2024 elections was lawfully executed. Contributing to a panel discussion on Joy Prime Newspaper Review on Wednesday, 12th February 2025, he asserted that the Chief of Staff’s directive followed due process.
He dismissed the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s claims that such actions resembled a coup d’état, describing their stance as baseless and irrelevant.
Drawing comparisons to the NPP’s actions upon assuming office in 2017, Mr Quashie reminded them of similar measures taken under Osafo-Maafo’s leadership.
He proposed amending the Transition Act to prevent political manoeuvres that undermine fairness in public sector recruitment.
He further argued that the Chief of Staff’s decision was not arbitrary but based on a detailed report, which, he claimed, exposed bad-faith recruitments.
“You would be surprised at what is in the report. Most of the appointments were made to favour NPP supporters in key institutions, which does not support our national development agenda,” he stated.
In light of this, Mr Quashie insisted that amending the Transition Act was crucial to preventing such disputes when governments change. However, he maintained that if the report proved the recruitments were based on merit, they should be upheld.
“But where party loyalists are placed in critical sectors of our economy, the Chief of Staff cannot be blamed for acting. The right measures must be taken,” he emphasised.
Source: myjoyonline.com