Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has blamed political patronage for the excessive size of Ghana’s public sector, calling for bold reforms to address the problem.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Kpebu noted that while John Mahama’s reset agenda appears to prioritise public sector reform, more decisive action is needed.
He pointed out that Ghana’s public sector, with over 400,000 employees, has become over-bloated due to decades of political appointments.
“When each government comes into power, they scrutinise institutions to identify people affiliated with the previous administration. Many of these individuals are sidelined, and new ones are brought in. This cycle keeps increasing the numbers,” he explained.
Mr Kpebu recalled that in the 1980s, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) introduced structural adjustments that led to layoffs and redundancies. However, political interference has since reversed those measures, leading to the current over-bloated state.
He urged the newly appointed Minister for Public Sector Reform, Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, to take bold steps to realign the workforce and improve efficiency.
While acknowledging that these political appointments are common worldwide, he stressed that Ghana must address the issue to prevent further strain on national resources.
“This practice has been there over 200years. I understand this practice happens in other countries as well but we have to solve it because we can’t keep increasing the numbers.
My take is that Lydia Lamisi and the President should be bold and ensure proper reforms to reduce the numbers,” he said.
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