Mahama Government Revokes 541 Last-Minute Public Sector Appointments After Review

The administration of John Dramani Mahama has revoked 541 public sector recruitments, appointments, and promotions made during the final days of the government led by Nana Akufo-Addo, following a detailed review by a presidential committee.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who described the process as a due diligence exercise aimed at ensuring compliance with established procedures rather than a political witch hunt.

Background to the Controversy

After the New Patriotic Party lost the December 7, 2024 general elections, concerns were raised over a surge in public sector appointments made during the transition period before the January 7, 2025 inauguration. Critics argued that the outgoing administration hurried several recruitments during its final weeks in office, a practice that has frequently drawn debate during political transitions in Ghana.

According to the Mahama administration, it requested a joint review of appointments made during the transition period, but that appeal was not acted upon.

Upon assuming office, the Chief of Staff issued a directive instructing public institutions to revoke all appointments made after December 7, 2024. The directive sparked mixed reactions, with some observers warning that it could affect legitimately recruited staff.

Committee Review and Findings

To address those concerns, a presidential committee was constituted to examine the appointments on a case by case basis. The committee reviewed recruitment processes across 36 institutions, 28 of which had begun their hiring procedures before the elections.

In total, 2,080 recruitments, appointments, and promotions were examined. Out of that number, 879 had already been revoked by various institutions in compliance with the earlier directive. The remaining 1,201 cases were left pending for further assessment.

Following its review, the committee recommended that 1,539 appointments be upheld, representing cases that met procedural requirements and had offer letters issued before December 7, 2024, achieving at least 80 percent compliance with established guidelines.

However, 541 cases were recommended for revocation. These were found to have concluded after the December 7 elections and failed to meet required procedural standards.

Interestingly, the number of revocations recommended by the committee is lower than the 879 initially cancelled by institutions. Mr Kwakye Ofosu explained that this difference resulted from special considerations granted to vulnerable individuals, particularly persons with disabilities recruited into the Ghana Education Service.

He noted that although some of these appointments did not strictly meet procedural requirements, enforcing immediate revocation would have imposed significant hardship. As a result, affected individuals have been permitted to regularise their recruitment processes to remain in public service.

Government’s Position

The presidential spokesperson was critical of the previous administration, stating that it was aware that certain appointments did not meet basic requirements but proceeded to approve them regardless. He emphasized that the current exercise was conducted without malice and was necessary to uphold the rule of law and strengthen accountability within the public sector.

The development marks one of the most significant administrative reviews undertaken since the change in government, and it is expected to continue shaping discussions around public sector governance and transition practices in Ghana.