Ruling On CEOs Dismissals Will Reduce Winner-Takes-All Politics …Says Kpebu

The Executive Director for the Human Rights and Governance Centre, Martin Kpebu, has said the Supreme Court’s ruling stopping the dismissal of appointed public sector CEOs by incoming governments would likely reduce the winner-takes-all political culture in the country.

Mr. Kpebu believes CEOs must be allowed to complete their terms in office as spelt out in their contracts.

He said this may lower the political tension in the country and allow a new president to focus on putting his cabinet together.

“Once the president comes in, he doesn’t have the right to sack all the appointees, i.e. heads of these statutory corporations. It means that at least you will have persons who belong to other political parties in office for a longer period. So, in essence, this will be a drastic reduction of winner takes all problem,” he said

In June 2018, President Akufo-Addo sacked four top officials of some state institutions.

The removal of heads of public corporations as a result of a change of government has been declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

According to the court, the appointments of such public service offices were governed by Article 195 of the Constitution.

The removal of such public service officers, the court held, must, therefore, be done in accordance with the terms and conditions of their contract of engagement or it must be justified, as stipulated in Article 191 of the Constitution.

By this decision, the Supreme Court has repealed the section of the Presidential (Transition) Act 2012 (Act 845) which terminated the appointments of the chief executives or director-generals of public corporations, statutory boards and authorities upon the assumption of office of a new President. SOURCE: citinewsroom.com