The Government has defended its decision to appoint Samuel Adom Botchway as Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry.
Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu addressing a press conference on Wednesday, February 19 stated that Mr Botchway's appointment has not breached any legal provisions.
“The President acted within his constitutional mandate. Section 2 of Act 1027 makes it clear that the President, in accordance with Article 195 of the Constitution, has the authority to appoint the Registrar of Births and Deaths. There is no legal basis for CLOGSAG’s demand for his removal,” Mr. Ofosu stated.
According to the Minister, Mr. Botchway meets all the criteria outlined in the law, including relevant academic qualifications and extensive public service experience.
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“CLOGSAG has not questioned his competence, only alleging that he is politically exposed. However, there is no provision in the law that stipulates the position must be held by a civil servant. Previous registrars may have been civil servants, but that does not establish a legal requirement,” he added.
Kwakye Ofosu reiterated the government’s commitment to dialogue with organised labour and ensuring the welfare of workers.
However, he criticised the decision by CLOGSAG to declare a strike, arguing that such action is unjustified and detrimental to public service delivery.
“The people of Ghana, who pay the wages of all public servants, should not be made to suffer due to demands that are not backed by law. We remain open to discussions, but the law must be respected,” he asserted.
This response comes as the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), declared a nationwide strike set for Thursday, February 20, 2025, in protest of Mr. Botchway’s continued stay in office.
CLOGSAG argues that his appointment is politically motivated and contradicts earlier government assurances that he would be removed.