Accra: The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), has raised questions about the legality of terminating or transferring heads of public institutions when a new President takes office. The Association’s review of the Presidential Transition Act 2012 (Act 845) revealed no provision granting the President the authority to terminate or transfer public officers, including Chief Executive Officers and Chief Directors.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Isaac Bampoe Addo, the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, addressed the issue during the Association’s 2025 May Day Thanksgiving Service in Accra. He called for immediate dialogue on the matter, urging the Minister of Employment to convene a national tripartite committee to discuss this pressing national issue.
Mr. Addo emphasized that their examination of the acts showed no provision allowing the President to terminate, post, appoint, promote, or transfer any chief executive officer, chief directors, heads of departments, or any public insti
tution employees. He identified political interference in public and civil service as a significant problem and vowed that CLOGSAG would resist political influence.
He pointed out that political appointments in public service often resulted in inefficiency, as appointees frequently lacked the skills needed for national development. Mr. Addo stressed the importance of public officers maintaining neutrality to uphold the principles of anonymity, neutrality, and permanence.
Recently, CLOGSAG protested the appointment of Mr. Samuel Adom Botchway as the new Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry. The Association claimed that this appointment violated a 2017 Supreme Court ruling that prohibited political interference in the administration of the Civil and Local Government Service. However, the Government countered CLOGSAG’s position, asserting that the President’s appointment did not breach any law.
In 2022, CLOGSAG opposed the appointment of Mrs. Henrietta Lamptey as Registrar of the Births and Deaths Regi
stry, arguing that the appointment process deviated from standard practice. The Association subsequently filed a High Court suit contesting the appointment. Among its reliefs, CLOGSAG sought a declaration that the Births and Deaths Registry is a Civil Service Institution and that the Head of Civil Service must have a say in appointing the Registrar, as required by law. The Court has not yet ruled on the case.
