Alexander Afenyo-Markin
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has voiced strong opposition to the recent directive from the Office of the President regarding the revocation of appointments and recruitments made after December 7, 2024.
The directive, outlined in a letter from Chief of Staff, Julius Deborah, requested that all heads of government institutions annul such appointments in compliance with good governance practices.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin, citing the potential harm caused to Ghanaian workers, especially the youth, expressed his concerns in Parliament, calling the actions of revoking appointments “unacceptable” and warning of the trauma it causes to individuals who had already passed through rigorous recruitment processes.
He pointed to various state institutions, including the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ghana Health Service, Gridco, and others, where new employees, including teachers and health professionals, have been affected.
“Mass sacking of workers is unacceptable,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin reiterated, drawing parallels to a similar situation in 2017 when former President John Dramani Mahama condemned the mass termination of government employees under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
In his 2017 tweets, Mahama described such actions as setting a “bad precedent for governance” and emphasized that all workers are citizens with rights that must be protected.
Afenyo-Markin urged for clarity on the recent directive, stating that recruitment is a long process, not an event and that employees recruited before the December 7 cut-off date should not face dismissal due to administrative deadlines.
He appealed for the government to act in the interest of the nation’s workforce, particularly the youth, and to ensure their rights are upheld.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin called on the government to provide clearer guidance and reassurances that those affected by the revocation will not lose their jobs unfairly.
He echoed Mahama’s words, “These workers are citizens, like all Ghanaians, and their rights must be protected. One Ghana, One People.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House