Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 election, has strongly condemned the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s decision to terminate the contracts of individuals appointed by the previous administration.

Dr. Bawumia stated that President John Dramani Mahama’s administration should prioritize job creation instead of making Ghanaians unemployed through politically motivated dismissals. In a Facebook update on February 19, the former vice president described the action as unfair and urged President Mahama to reconsider his government’s approach.

He criticized the Mahama government for targeting employees from the previous administration, stating, “Since assuming the government reins, the Mahama government has pursued a sequence of actions that have targeted the legitimately employed people of the previous administration. It is surprising that a government that flew on the wings of providing opportunities of work to all the people of Ghana is arbitrarily relieving the very same people of their work to leave them unemployed.”

He further emphasized that instead of retrenching workers, the government should focus on exploring innovative ways to create jobs, particularly during times of economic difficulty.

Dr. Bawumia also expressed concerns that the dismissals were not limited to political appointees, but extended to directors, security agents, nurses, and teachers—many of whom are career professionals. He stated, “The least that a party that campaigned on the issue of employment can do with a record of unemployment is to innovate and create work instead of retrenching people.”

He described these actions as a threat to Ghana’s democracy and urged the government to uphold fairness and constitutional principles.

He wrapped up by urging President Mahama to demonstrate leadership for all Ghanaians by reversing the dismissals and safeguarding jobs, institutions, and democratic principles.