The government has confirmed revoking 541 recruitments, appointments, and promotions carried out during the transition period following the December 7, 2024, general elections.

The report of the Committee set up to probe last-minute recruitments and promotions has now been made public. Presidential Spokesman and Minister of State in-charge of Communications, Mr. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed the findings during the Government Accountability Series Press Conference held at the Presidency in Accra.

Committee findings

According to Mr. Ofosu, the Committee recommended that 1,539 recruitments, appointments, and promotions be upheld as they complied with established procedures and had received appointment letters before December 7, 2024.

“This implies that they achieved a pass mark of 80 per cent or above,” he said.

However, 541 cases were recommended for revocation because the recruitment processes concluded after December 7, 2024, and did not meet the required compliance standards.

Mr. Ofosu explained that the 541 revocations were fewer than the 879 appointments that institutions themselves had annulled, as the Committee had considered vulnerable groups, including Persons with Disabilities, particularly within the Ghana Education Service.

“These recruitments, appointments, and promotions were made in clear breach of procedures and directives issued during the transition period and did not comply with the Regulatory Framework and Guidelines for Recruitments, Appointments and Promotions in the Public Service,” he emphasized.

Rule of law and accountability

Addressing concerns over potential political bias, Mr. Ofosu insisted the revocations were not a witch-hunt and carried no political motive.

“It was done without malice or ill-feeling towards anyone; this was a necessary step to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability,” he said.

He further noted that the previous government had been fully aware that basic requirements were not met in these cases but proceeded regardless, ignoring requests from the incoming administration for consultation.

Institutional compliance

Of the 36 institutions that appeared before the Committee, 28 had commenced recruitment processes before the December 7 directive.

Nineteen institutions had revoked appointments made in response to the revocation directive, while 17 did not revoke but sought guidance from the President’s Office.

Recruitments appointments promotions — Journalists

Sixteen cases reported by institutions were primarily payroll-related.

A total of 2,080 recruitments, appointments, and promotions were reported to the Committee.

Of these, 879 were revoked by the institutions themselves, while 1,201 were not.

Background to the review

The revocation exercise stems from concerns raised at the first meeting of the Joint Transition Team on December 17, 2024, when the incoming Government flagged rushed and unlawful recruitments, along with substantial payments to contractors and other creditors.

Mr. Ofosu noted that although both sides initially agreed to submit ongoing recruitments, promotions, and related activities for review, the outgoing Government disregarded this agreement. Consequently, a statement was issued by the incoming Government expressing the intent to revoke appointments made in breach of regulations.

On February 10, 2025, the Chief of Staff directed that all unlawful appointments made after December 7, 2024, be revoked.

Reports soon emerged that some lawful appointments had also been affected, prompting the formation of a committee to ensure fairness and prevent undue harm.

Committee composition

The Committee tasked with reviewing the appointments was chaired by Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency.

Other members included Dr. Prince Edward Darah, Commissioner of the Public Service Commission; Madam Roda Gavor, Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment; Mr. Bernard Adjei, Representative of Organized Labour; and Mr. C.W. Ayiku, Secretary, Director of Finance and Administration, Office of the President.

The Committee meticulously assessed all affected recruitments, appointments, and promotions, ensuring compliance with established public sector processes and making recommendations that balance fairness, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law.