A rift has developed between the transition teams of the outgoing and incoming governments concerning ongoing administrative actions, particularly regarding recruitments and payments.
The disagreement is as a result of contrasting views on the transition process and the scope of authority held by the outgoing administration.
The dispute was ignited by a statement from President-elect John Dramani Mahama’s transition team on Tuesday, December 17, which warned against “last-minute recruitments” by the outgoing administration, stating they would be reversed.
This sparked a swift response from the government’s transition team spokesperson and Information Minister, Fatima Abubakar.
Madam Abubakar firmly dismissed claims of an agreement to halt recruitment or payments during the transition.
In an interview on JoyNews, also on Tuesday, she clarified that the transition process does not suspend regular government business or supersede the authority of the current administration, which remains in power until midnight on January 7.
President Akufo-Addo petitioned to remove Chief Justice from office
“The fact is that the work of the transition team does not put an embargo on government business and does not oust the authority of the legitimate government,” she stated.
She further clarified the continued roles of key financial institutions, stating, “The [Transition Team] does not replace the mandate of the Finance Minister to spend, or it does not replace the mandate of controller and accountant general to pay.”
Abubakar however, stated that no new recruitment warrants have been issued since the election. She explained that announcements from the Interior Ministry and Health Ministry regarding nurses accessing recruitment portals were part of pre-existing processes, not new initiatives.
“Since the election, not a single warrant has been issued for the recruitment of any persons. The Interior Ministry and the Health Ministry have already put public releases informing nurses to go onto the portal to start their recruitment processes,” she clarified.
