Former Chief Executive of The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, has criticized President John Dramani Mahama for complaining about divisive politics while allegedly practicing it himself.
The rebuke follows President Mahama’s New Year speech in which he called on Ghanaians to embrace his government’s reset agenda and emphasized that his administration is accommodating of all citizens regardless of their political affiliations.
In a Facebook post responding to the President’s remarks, Ofosu Nkansah challenged the sincerity of these statements given recent dismissals of public sector employees. He wrote that politics of division occurs when a president takes office and dismisses young Ghanaians who were recruited several months before December 7, 2024, only to see those positions filled by National Democratic Congress (NDC) foot soldiers.
The former New Patriotic Party (NPP) appointee also pointed to the removal of senior public servants who have risen through the ranks, claiming they were replaced by NDC loyalists. His comments reference a broader controversy surrounding employment dismissals since the NDC took power.
On February 12, 2025, the Chief of Staff issued a directive that all employees who were not yet on the government payroll and were appointed after December 7 should be dismissed from office. The decision sparked criticism from the opposition and some NPP members, with Deutsche Welle reporting that nurses and teachers were among those affected.
The government defended the dismissals by arguing that the previous administration recruited these individuals without following due process. However, critics contended that the action represented partisan retribution rather than procedural corrections.
Ofosu Nkansah has been one of the most vocal critics of the employment terminations, though his position has evolved over time. In February 2025, he counseled the NDC government to limit dismissals to political appointees, stating he supported the removal of NPP chief executives and deputy chief executives because those appointments were political in nature.
He warned that extending dismissals beyond political appointees to career civil servants sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations. In a social media post, he cautioned that if the dismissals are not reversed, a future NPP government would do worse.
However, Ofosu Nkansah also supported NDC foot soldiers chasing out NPP appointees who refused to leave office voluntarily, questioning why individuals would resist presidential directives when appointments can be terminated at any time.
The controversy reflects deeper tensions about partisan control of public sector employment in Ghana, where changes of government have historically triggered waves of dismissals and new appointments. President Mahama’s administration has argued that reforms are necessary to correct irregular recruitment practices from the previous government.
Beyond employment dismissals, the Mahama administration has made significant changes to military leadership. In March 2025, the President dismissed the Chief of Defence Staff and all service chiefs, appointing Brigadier General William Agyapong to lead the Ghana Armed Forces. The decision forced the retirement of senior generals because a junior officer cannot command those with earlier intake years.
Ofosu Nkansah’s criticism highlights ongoing debate about whether the current government’s actions constitute necessary institutional reform or represent the very divisive politics President Mahama claims to oppose.
