The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has called for the removal of Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, citing his handling of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) strike as unacceptable.
“First of all, Honourable Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister for Health, must go. He should have been gone. He must go. He must go home—leave the Ministry and go home. Completely unacceptable behaviour,” Ahiagbah declared in an interview on Channel One TV‘s The Big Issue on Saturday June 14.
He criticised Akandoh’s track record, recalling his time as the Ranking Member on the Health Committee.
“Did you see the things he was doing and saying? He accused Dr. Agyemang-Manu of looking on for a strike—a local strike in Kumasi, Komfo Anokye—over administrative professional matters,” Ahiagbah stated.
He argued that Akandoh had once condemned his predecessor for inaction in a professional matter related to a localised facility, yet was now failing to effectively manage a more severe crisis affecting Ghana’s healthcare system.
The strike, led by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), brought healthcare services across the country to a halt for several days. It was called off on Friday, June 13, following a resolution brokered by Parliament’s Health Committee after emergency negotiations with stakeholders.
Ahiagbah criticised Akandoh’s failure to act swiftly, despite receiving early warnings as far back as January. He claimed the Minister had assured nurses that their demands would be addressed in the 2025 Budget but failed to follow through.
“They found all the fiscal space to allocate GH¢2.7 billion for compensation at the Jubilee House, but didn’t prioritise the health of Ghanaians,” he said.
He also condemned the Minister’s suggestion to recall retired nurses as a stopgap measure, describing it as reckless and insensitive.
“That kind of hardball he was playing with people’s health was repugnant. People died because of his negligence. For that reason, he must be gone,” Ahiagbah insisted.
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