Nearly 75 percent of public sector hires made in the closing weeks of the Akufo-Addo administration have been approved to remain in office, presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu announced on Tuesday.
Kwakye Ofosu explained that a presidential panel reviewing roughly 2,080 appointments, promotions, and recruitments recommended that 1,539 of them be maintained.
At a press conference, he stated, “It was done without malice or ill-feeling towards anyone. It was a necessary step to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability.”
The validated appointments, spanning 36 government agencies, were found to have followed proper recruitment and promotion guidelines. Importantly, all appointment letters were issued before December 7, 2024—the date of the general election that ushered in the Mahama administration.
The committee applied an 80 percent compliance threshold, confirming those who met or surpassed it to continue in their roles.
The issue arose after the incoming Mahama government accused Akufo-Addo’s team of rushing through a surge of public sector placements during the transition period between the December 7 election and the January 7, 2025 swearing-in.
Earlier, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah had directed that all post-election appointments be annulled, a move critics argued could unfairly punish legitimate hires.
The committee’s report indicates that while some irregularities did occur, they were not as widespread as initially suspected.
A total of 541 appointments were canceled for failing to meet procedural requirements or for being finalized after December 7, while the remaining 1,539 were deemed compliant.
Kwakye Ofosu stressed that the cancellations were selective and did not affect those who adhered to the proper processes. He added that a few cases flagged for payroll inconsistencies may still need further review, but overall, most public servants can now expect continuity in their roles.
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