Political and Security Transitions of Jobs: Approach to Employment Cycle in Ghana

The result of the general elections of 2024 from Ghana saw the National Democrat Congress (NDC), led by President John Dramani Mahama winning over the new Patriotic Party (NPP). However, as the new administration has been resolved in power, a controversial mass termination problem of employee contracts that have been recruited in government agencies within the Nana Addo Dankwa AkuFo-Addo administration has dominated public space.

This development has aroused a national debate on the implications of political transitions on job security, the governance and a broader promise of job creation that dominated the campaign rhetoric. The situation raises important questions: Was the process due in these meetings? Should a new administration have the power to stop mass hiring? Finally, the most importantly, how can Ghana learn from other democracies to prevent such occurrences in the future?

The problem at hand

The PNP claimed that the employment of these persons was legal and had financial authorization and also brought strict adhesion to the appropriate process. From their perspective, these terminals represent the political victimization and contradict the promise of President Mahama’s campaign to create jobs for Ghanai through initiatives such as 24 -hour economic policy.

On the other hand, the NDC argues that these state -of -the -art hires were politically motivated and aimed to strategically place the party loyalists in government institutions before teaching power. They claim that it is in the government prerogative to review and restructure the employment in the public sector, as needed.

It may not be the first time Ghana attended such a scenario. The amendments of the government were historically accompanied by the dismissal, transfers and appointments that lead to insecurity at work for those employed in the public sector. This cyclical model not only disrupts the means of living, but also weakens the institutional stability.

Lessons from Advanced Democrats

In advanced democrats, such as the UK (UK), Germany, United States (USA) and Canada, political transitions do not usually lead to mass -employment termination. Instead, governments differ between political appointments and civil servants.

1. The United Kingdom: in the UK, governments that usually go to make significant appointments during the Purdah period, the time between an election announcement and the formation of a new government. For example, in 2010, the Labor Party refrained from the last-minute appointments before taking over the Conservatives of the Democrat Coalition. This convention provides a smooth transition and minimizes political interference.
2. Germany: In the largest economy in Europe, the public service is extremely professional, and appointments are based on merit, rather than political affiliation. When governments change, civil servants retain their positions, unless they have politically called roles. For example, during the transition from Angela Merkel’s Christian Union (CDU) to the coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Olaf Scholz (SPD) of 2021, only top political appointments were replaced, while level employees inferior remained unaffected.
3. The United States: in the US, the period of a slab, the time between the elections and the inauguration of the new president, it is often seen that the exit administrations make the last -minute appointments. However, they can be reversed by the administration received. For example, President Donald Trump has reversed several appointments from the Obama era in 2017, but such actions were usually limited to high-level positions, not to medium or lower level roles. However, in the recent termination of appointments by the administration of President Mahama, even lower level positions for ordinary Ghananese are affected.
4. Canada: In Canada, transitions are generally smooth, governments that go outside avoiding controversial appointments. For example, when Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party took over Stephen Harper’s conservatives in 2015, there were no mass terminations of lower -level denominators.

Solutions proposed for Ghana

To ensure that ordinary Ghanaians do not suffer when governments change, it is imperative that Ghana reform their employment practices in the public sector. The following measures could be considered:

1. Legal protection for civil servants: Ghana could establish clear legal staff who protect employees in the public sector against politically motivated dismissal. There should be a distinction between political appointments and civil servants.
2. Independent Public Service Commission: An independent body could be set up and authorized to supervise recruitment, promotions and dismissal in the public sector. This will prevent output governments from making appointments in a hurry and ensure that employment decisions are based on merit, rather than political fidelity.
3. Publishes for employment before transitions: There could be a mandatory review of all the recruitments in the public sector in the last year from any administration. This will ensure that only the sanctioned and necessary programming is maintained.
4. Consolidation of institutional continuity: Ghana could adopt policies that promote continuity in government to ensure that government projects and staff remain unaffected by political changes.

Conclusion

The recent wave of jobs following the 2024 elections indicates a major defect in the Ghana governance system and should be approached urgently to protect the living means of ordinary citizens. Political transitions should not be translated into economic instability for workers serving the nation.

By learning from advanced democrats and the implementation of reforms that isolate the public service of political interference, Ghana can build a stable and professional public sector that thrives beyond the mandate of any political party. Until the adoption of such reforms, the cycle of termination of the labor will continue to disturb the governance and economic well -being of many Ghana.

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