Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has warned the government not to include newly recruited nurses in the recent directive suspending all public service appointments made after December 7, 2024.
According to the association, if the directive impacts its members, it will take industrial action in solidarity with the affected nurses.
In a statement jointly signed by the President of GRNMA, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, and the Secretary, Dr. David Tenkorang-Twum, the association pointed to the critical role newly recruited nurses and midwives play in the country’s healthcare system.
The statement called for the continued service of the newly recruited nurses and midwives, noting that these healthcare professionals represent the majority of the country’s healthcare workforce and are essential to the smooth functioning of the sector.
The statement comes after a directive from the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah called for the revocation of appointments made after December 7, 2024.
The GRNMA said the Chief of Staff’s directive appears to be already in effect, as the association had sighted a circular by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) issued on February 12, 2025, asking divisional and regional health directors to suspend nurses who had not been placed on the payroll as of January 2025.
The GRNMA contended that all nurses and midwives hired after December 7, 2024, are qualified professionals who have completed rigorous training and licensure processes.
The statement explained that the recruitment process itself began in mid-2024 with the Ministry of Finance’s approval of financial clearance, leading to the hiring of the 2020 cohort of nurses and midwives who had already completed their mandatory one-year internship.
The GRNMA said delays in the payroll registration should not be grounds for suspending these healthcare workers.
Majority’s Support
However, Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have expressed strong support for the government’s decision to annul the recruitment carried out by the outgone New Patriotic Party (NPP) government during the transition period.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, called the recruitment as “reckless” and detrimental to the country’s fiscal stability.
His comments were made in response to concerns raised by the Minority Leader about the alleged mass sacking of workers on Friday, February 14, 2025.
Minority’s Concerns
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, 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 emphasised that all workers are citizens with rights that must be protected.
Mr. 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 President Mahama’s words: “These workers are citizens, like all Ghanaians, and their rights must be protected. One Ghana, One People.”
Ayariga’s Intransigence
But Mr. Ayariga, who was part of the transition team, has dismissed the appeal of the Minority Leader, recalling how outgoing ministers rushed to hire new workers after the December 2024 elections, despite the impending change in government.
He stated that the transition team repeatedly raised concerns during meetings about the potential negative impact of such recruitment practices on public finances.
“We told them that the practice must stop, because the fiscal space must be considered before employing people. You cannot leave office, clog the fiscal space, and expect the incoming government to deal with the consequences,” Mr. Ayariga said.
According to him, despite warnings from the incoming government, outgoing ministers insisted on continuing with the recruitment process, arguing that they were legally entitled to do so as long as they had received financial clearance during the year.
Mr. Ayariga condemned this approach, calling it a “reckless” decision that would burden the incoming government with unsustainable payroll obligations.
One example Ayariga pointed to was an agency that saw its workforce expand from 120 to over 1,000 employees without any corresponding increase in its responsibilities.
“This is not about the qualifications of the workers, but about the proper management of state resources,” Mr. Ayariga explained, stressing the importance of responsible governance.
By Ernest Kofi Adu