Yaw Osafo Marfo, Leader of the NPP transition team
The government Transition Team yesterday submitted 31 handing over notes from the relevant ministries, departments and agencies to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Transition Team.
This brings to 39, the number of handing over notes received by the NPP team, as eight were submitted last week.
The 31 handing over notes came from the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Roads and Highways, Finance and Economic Planning, Employment and Labour Relations, Health, Local Government Service Secretariat, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Northern, Volta, Central, Brong-Ahafo, Upper East, Upper West, Ashanti and Eastern Regions.
The others are Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development, Power, Education, Petroleum, Works and Housing, Tourism, Greater Accra, Western Regiona, the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralization and Department of Parks and Gardens.
The rest are Ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; Youth and Sports; Communications and Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
All the notes have been received by the Transition Team except that of the Office of Government Machinery which is expected to be submitted by the presidency soon.
Transition Work Begins
The representative of the president-elect on the team, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, in his remarks after receiving the handing over notes at the International Conference Center in Accra said, “This is the beginning of the work of the Transition Team.
“Now that we have received the reports, our counterpart will now look at the report, study it and visit these ministries, departments and agencies and ask questions which will seek to clarify any matter arising out of the transition,” he said.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, NPP Member of Parliament-elect for Ofoase Ayirebi who replaces Mustapha Hamid as spokesperson for the NPP Transition Team, said conversations had gone on smoothly during the first stage of the transition work.
“We are now going to the second stage where the sub-committees will go through the handing over notes received. If there is the need for any interrogation they will meet with members of the other side to seek clarification.
“We are assured that the last one which is outstanding would be made available soon and we look forward to that. Though we have not been given explanation to what has accounted for the delay, we hope to receive it soon,” he said.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said the first eight handing over notes received last week were going through a process of review by the subcommittee, stating that any challenges encountered would be made known to the other side to be resolved.
When asked whether the team would be able to complete its work before the inauguration, he said, “We are expectant that we will be able to cover most of them”.
He noted, “It is taking a bit of time but step one has been completed and step two is starting and that’s where we are going to do the review and the interrogation. We hope to finish in time before the 7th January inauguration.”
Agreement On Contract Signings
Touching on the issue of new contracts being signed by the out-going NDC government, he said, “We have had extensive discussions on the issue regarding government signing of new contracts after losing the elections.
“The Co-chairpersons of the Transition Team in the persons of Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff and Yaw Osafo-Maafo have arrived at an agreement that without prejudice to the powers of the outgoing government to function until the expiration of its tenure, major decisions that affect recruitment and contracts would be done on consultation basis.
“So it is not though that anybody is taking away the current administration’s power to act but it is important that they do the necessary consultations now so that nobody will be forced to cancel or review anything.
“The conversations have been very cordial and we hope that both sides will respect this so Ghana benefits from an agreement like this.”
Allegations & Accusations
Last week the incoming Akufo-Addo-led NPP government accused the outgoing John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration of ‘improperly’ dishing out fresh contracts and selling off state assets after losing the elections.
The newly elected administration also alleged of sudden rise in recruitment of personnel into government agencies like the Military, Police Service and other security services, urging the outgoing administration to consult the incoming one within the transition period before binding agreements are finalized.
The spokesperson for government’s transition team, Foreign Minister Hanna Tetteh, in response denied the allegation of awarding new contracts.
By Cephas Larbi
cephrok@yahoo.com