Minority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has unleashed a scathing assault on Chief of Staff Julius Debrah for a directive that has axed numerous public sector jobs, branding it an illegal power grab that tramples Ghanaians’ rights.
In a statement to Parliament on Wednesday, Afenyo-Markin slammed the move as a blatant breach of Article 24 of the 1992 Constitution, accusing the administration of shredding economic protections for lawfully appointed workers.
He raged that the sacked public sector servants, appointed under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, were ousted without cause, signaling a dangerous overreach.
“This directive pretends the President’s authority vanished post-election—utter nonsense with no legal footing,” he fumed, decrying the arbitrary gutting of jobs as a mockery of due process.
Public sector purge: political or economic sabotage?
Pointing fingers, he dredged up past appointments—like those of Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo and NCCE Chair Josephine Nkrumah—made by ex-President John Mahama after losing in 2016.
“If those were fine, why the double standard now?” he demanded, exposing what he called a glaring inconsistency.
The Minority leader alleged a sinister motive: a political purge to clear space for NDC loyalists.
“They cry broke but magically find cash for their 24-hour economy cronies,” he sneered, jabbing at Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s hiring plans. Afenyo-Markin painted the dismissals as a cynical ploy, cloaked as fiscal restraint.
He claimed the firings violate Articles 12, 17, and 35—equality, fairness, and non-discrimination—while warning of a brewing crisis.
He warned that mass layoffs will spike unemployment, deepen poverty, and spark unrest, framing the move as a reckless blow to Ghana’s stability.
Desperate plea
Afenyo-Markin pleaded with Parliament to ditch party loyalty and overrule the directive, stating, “This isn’t about politics—it’s about justice. Reverse this travesty,”
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com