A political scientist at the University of Ghana Kwame Asah-Asante has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to instruct all managing directors of state agencies that he appointed who are openly campaigning for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirants.
He said heads of the state agencies openly engaging in partisan politics does not bode well for Ghana’s democracy.
His comments come after a presidential aspirant of the NPP Kwabena Ahyei Agyepong has asked President Akufo-Addo to ask all heads and managing directors of state agencies such as the National Lottery Authority (NLA), the State Transport Corporation (STC) not to openly join the campaign trail to elect a flagbearer for the NPP for the 2024 general elections.
Mr Agyepong said that although the heads of these institutions are political appointments, they ought to be guided by corporate governance practices because they are state institutions.
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on Thursday, August 3, he said “When you have a lot of presidential appointees, not ministers, ministers are political so they can do what they want to do, but public officers like the Managing Director of Bui Dam, or like the Managing Director of State Transport Corporation or the Director General of the Ghana Lottery, State Housing Corporation, these are public officers who should be guided by the rules of corporate governance, you are put in place and you work for Ghana.
“It is a political appointment, we accept that and you can support people quietly but outwardly leaving your job and joining the campaign trail, I think it is unacceptable.
“For me, it goes against governance procedures and I think if you are a political appointee, what the president could have done was to have asked the Chief of Staff to rein them in.”
Speaking on this issue on the mid-day news on TV3 Thursday, August 3, Dr Asah-Asante said “I think Mr. Agyepong was apt on the issue, what he talks about is that you are ahead of institutions or public officers, and there is no point you being part of active politics, it is contrary to the rules of the game.
“I support his call that the President must rein them in so that they stay away from that direct political affairs, it doesn’t bode well for democracy.”