The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo Constituency, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has issued a stern warning to the government.
The warning, signal his intention to take legal action over what he describes as the “unlawful and unconstitutional” termination of over 3,000 civil servants.
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to the Attorney General, Assafuah is demanding justice for his clients, whose employment contracts were abruptly nullified following a directive from the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.
“Consequent to the above, our Clients and over three thousand (3000) Ghanaians have had their employments revoked.”
The controversial directive, issued on February 10, 2025, ordered the revocation of all civil service appointments made after the December 7, 2024 general elections. This sweeping decision has left thousands of Ghanaians jobless and sparked widespread outrage.
According to Assafuah, many of those affected were employed prior to the elections but were still caught in what he calls an “unjustifiable and politically motivated” wave of dismissals.
In his letter, Assafuah argues that the directive blatantly disregards due process and violates both the Constitution and Ghana’s labor laws.
“It is my Clients position that the said directive and the consequent nullification of
employment is unlawful and tainted with apparent lack of due process”.
He described the mass terminations as “flagrant unconstitutionality” and called on the Attorney General, as the government’s principal legal advisor, to intervene immediately.
“It is my clients’ honest expectation that you will draw the attention of the government to this flagrant unconstitutionality, illegality, and unjustifiable action,” Assafuah wrote.
He further emphasized that governance is a continuum and that terminating employment solely because it was initiated under a previous administration is both unlawful and unacceptable.
Demands for Justice
Representing his clients many of whom are young professionals who relied on these jobs for their livelihoods, Assafuah has outlined several demands in his pursuit of justice. These include:
1. A Declaration of Unlawfulness: A formal ruling that the terminations were unlawful and lacked due process.
2. Reinstatement of Employment: An order compelling the government to reinstate all affected employees to their previous positions.
3. Payment of Outstanding Salaries and Benefits: Compensation for unpaid wages and benefits withheld as a result of the terminations.
4. Damages for Breach of Contract: Financial compensation for emotional distress and economic hardship caused by the dismissals.
5. Legal Costs: Full indemnity for all legal fees incurred by his clients.
Assafuah’s legal team is preparing to file a civil suit against the government if these demands are not met promptly.
The mass termination has sparked heated debate across Ghana, with critics accusing the government of political victimization. Many see this as part of a broader pattern where incoming administrations target workers hired under their predecessors
Source: www.kumasimail.com Kwadwo Owusu
