Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the spokesperson for President-Elect John Dramani Mahama’s Transition Team, has raised concerns following their first day of work.
Key issues highlighted include last-minute recruitments in public institutions and some payments.
Speaking after the team’s initial engagement on Tuesday, Kwakye Ofosu stated that these actions could have severe fiscal repercussions for the incoming administration.
“There were a few issues that came up that generated some discussions. Amongst them was the worrying issue of last-minute recruitments and payments in some ministries, departments, and agencies,” he stated.
Scrutiny of ECG payment
Kwakye Ofosu particularly criticised the timing and scale of a GH₵240 million payment to an entity linked to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)., urging for its suspension until further scrutiny is 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. Now, if it was being paid to IPPs to keep the power on, one perhaps would not have an issue, but it is being paid to an entity whose work in my view is not as critical as IPPs,” he said.
He underscored the need for the incoming government to make such critical financial decisions, adding, “Good governance requires that the incoming government is given the opportunity to make these decisions.”
Fiscal concerns over recruitment
The transition team also flagged the fiscal implications of last-minute recruitment processes across ministries, departments, and agencies.
“The timing of the recruitment would have severe fiscal implications on the incoming government,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu warned, urging for a halt to these actions.
“We raised strong objections to these maneuvers and requested that they be put on hold. The government side agreed to this, and we will forcefully insist that this is a dangerous precedent,” Kwakye Ofosu stated.
He also highlighted the need for broader consultations to address these matters, reinforcing the incoming administration’s responsibility to safeguard the public purse amidst an already fragile economic situation.