Dennis Miracles Aboagye, spokesperson for the Bawumia campaign team, has questioned the objections raised by the Mahama Transition team regarding last-minute employment being carried out by the outgoing Akufo-Addo government.
Aboagye expressed surprise over the criticism, pointing out that the individuals being employed are Ghanaians, not foreign nationals.
“These are Ghanaians getting employment. Why are you complaining? Why is it a problem if a Ghanaian is being employed?” Aboagye said during a statement on Friday, December 13. He argued that there should be no issue with providing employment opportunities for Ghanaians, especially in the lead-up to a transition in government.
The comments follow remarks from Felix Kwakye Ofosu, spokesperson for the Mahama Transition team, who had raised concerns over the timing of these employment actions. In a statement, Kwakye Ofosu described the last-minute recruitments and payments being made by the current administration as “worrying.” He specifically cited a GH₵240 million payment related to an entity connected to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), urging that it be suspended until further investigation and scrutiny could be completed.
“We have picked up information and indeed we’ve seen documentation relating to efforts to pay over GH₵240 million to an entity that is supposed to have done some business with the ECG,” Kwakye Ofosu explained. He questioned the necessity of this payment, particularly when it was not directed toward Independent Power Producers (IPPs), whose work is vital to maintaining power supply.
Kwakye Ofosu also emphasized the importance of allowing the incoming government to make key financial decisions and warned that such last-minute actions could have significant fiscal consequences for the next administration. “Good governance requires that the incoming government is given the opportunity to make these decisions,” he said. He further urged that the recruitment and payments be put on hold, stressing the potential dangers of setting such a precedent.
The Mahama Transition team’s concerns underscore the delicate financial and administrative issues surrounding the transition process. Meanwhile, Aboagye’s defense highlights a different perspective, focusing on the legitimacy of providing employment opportunities to Ghanaians at any time.
