NDC and NPP transition teams clash over last-minute recruitment

There is seeming tension between the transition teams of the outgoing New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and the incoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

The primary point of contention concerns alleged last-minute recruitment and payments by state agencies, flagged by the NDC team as illegal. The incoming administration has raised concerns about recruitment activities in organisations such as the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Electricity Company of Ghana, among others.

However, the governing NPP has pushed back against the accusations, maintaining that the recruitments are not unlawful.

Following the second day of meetings on Friday, 13 December, the NDC transition team issued a press release, signed by its Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosing that both sides had reached an understanding on the matter of last-minute recruitments and payments.

He stated:

It was agreed that all ongoing significant payments, recruitment, and other such activities must be submitted to the Transition Team for consideration on a case-by-case basis.” “This is to bring clarity to the status of these payments and recruitment and offers an amicable structure for satisfactorily addressing the issues involved.

However, a counter-release by the NPP transition team, signed by its Spokesperson, Fatimatu Abubakar, presented a different position.

The statement noted that the tenure of the outgoing government has not yet ended, and therefore, ongoing recruitments are not illegal, as alleged by the NDC.

Regarding concerns about ongoing recruitment and payments, it was noted that the Government’s term expires at midnight on 6th January, 2025. These recruitment processes and payments have received the relevant statutory approvals and have not been proven to be illegal.

It was decided that any specific allegation of illegality about any particular payment or recruitment should be brought to the attention of the Transition Committee for a decision to be made.

Abubakar also urged the public to disregard the earlier communiqué issued by the NDC transition team.

Kindly disregard any statements purporting to indicate that the committee has taken a decision to the effect that all ongoing payments and recruitment should be referred to the transition team, as same does not reflect the records of the meeting.

Both statements have since sparked mixed public reactions.

Meanwhile, President-elect John Dramani Mahama has called for transparency regarding the alleged last-minute recruitments to ensure a smooth transition as his government assumes power.