By Edward Acquah

Accra, Feb. 23, GNA – The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has clarified its industrial action, saying it is not intended to challenge the authority of the President in making appointments to the Public Service. 

In a statement signed by Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, the Executive Secretary, CLOGSAG, after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Accra on Saturday, the Association said the strike was informed by the 2017 Supreme Court ruling that barred civil servants from engaging in partisan politics. 

The Association declared an industrial action effective Thursday, February 20, 2025 over the appointment of Mr Samuel Adom Botchway as Acting Registrar of the Birth and Deaths Registry, describing him as a “politically exposed person.” 

“We wish to state unequivocally that the ongoing strike is not against the authority of the President to appoint officers into the Public Services as enshrined in Article 195 of the 1992 Constitution,” the statement said. 

“We are drawing attention to the Supreme Court ruling that emphasises the significance of neutrality, anonymity, professionalism, and permanence pf the Civil Service and Local Government Service.” 

It argued that Mr Botchway was a politically exposed person and, thus, his appointment flouted the Supreme Court ruling on the neutrality of the Civil and Local Government Service. 

The Government earlier appealed to CLOGSAG to rescind its decision to embark on the strike, emphasising that it lacked legal basis. 

“We do not believe that an efficient basis exists to go on strike because it will be unfair to the people of Ghana who pay the wages of all public officers, including members of CLOGSAG,” Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, told journalists on Wednesday. 

The CLOGSAG, after its NEC meeting on Saturday, urged its members to continue with the strike until the removal of Mr Botchway as the Births and Deaths Registrar  

In 2022, the CLOGSAG kicked against the appointment of Mrs Henrietta Lamptey as Registrar of the place. 

The Association argued at the time that the appointment process was at variance with normal practice. 

It subsequently filed a suit at the High Court, challenging the appointment. 

Among the reliefs sought by CLOGSAG was a declaration that “the Births and Deaths Registry is a Civil Service Institution…” 

“…And further or in the alternative, a declaration that the Head of Civil Service must have an input in the appointment of the Registrar of the Births and Deaths as provided by law.” 

The Court is yet to deliver judgment on the case. 

GNA 

By Solomon Gumah

Tamale, Feb 23, GNA – Professor Paul Kwame Nkegbe, Dean of Graduate School at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale, has emphasised the need for Ghana to adopt an education model where policies and programmes are developed through collaboration between academia and the corporate world. 

He explained that the corporate sector understood the skills it required, and its direct involvement in designing educational policies and programmes would help align graduates’ competencies with industry needs. 

Prof. Nkegbe, made this remark during his inaugural lecture as a full Professor of Applied Economics, delivered as part of the 18th Professorial Inaugural Lecture, held in Tamale. 

He said currently, the private sector bemoaned the lack of match between the skills required and what graduates usually possessed, saying, it was important to consider repackaging educational programmes to directly respond to industry demands. 

The event, chaired by Prof. Seidu Al-Hassan, Vice-Chancellor of UDS, brought together stakeholders from academia, religious and traditional authorities, and other sectors of the economy. 

The lecture, themed: “Youth Bulge and Unemployment: Evidence to Action,” highlighted the importance of well-structured government employment initiatives with clear exit strategies. 

Prof. Nkegbe stressed that these strategies should help beneficiaries transition into the mainstream job market, coupled with adequate infrastructure, they could serve as signaling mechanisms to bridge the information gap between job seekers and potential employers, ensuring the long-term sustainability of employment programmes. 

He advocated the institutionalisation of robust data collection and management systems to track employment trends and assess the impact of interventions. 

“Employment-related institutions should build data management systems that are both frequent and detailed to capture information across various sectors of the economy,” he said. 

In spite of fiscal constraints and rising debt levels in Ghana and other Sub-Saharan African countries, Prof. Nkegbe urged government to carve out space for long-term, high-impact investments in employment creation policies. 

“In a tight fiscal environment, it is essential to prioritize policies that will drive sustainable job creation and contribute meaningfully to economic development,” he emphasised. 

GNA 

President John Dramani Mahama

The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to retain the betting tax and COVID-19 levy to generate revenue for the Scholarship Secretariat.

According to him, the secretariat lacks a major source of funding apart from government allocations; therefore, revenue from these taxes could help expand its reach.

The former Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat emphasized that since education is crucial to the country’s development, the president should consider his plea and refrain from abolishing the taxes, as promised.

“I would plead that instead of scrapping the COVID-19 levy and betting tax, they should be maintained, and the earmarked revenue should be invested in scholarships. Scholarships are fully funded by the government from the Consolidated Fund, governed by statutory laws.

“GETFund, for instance, receives funds from all sectors, but scholarships operate differently. Many Ghanaians benefit from scholarships to advance their education, so I appeal to President Mahama to reconsider,” he told Adom TV.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Minister of Finance Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson is working to remove the betting tax in the 2025 budget presentation.

The finance minister is engaging with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to eliminate nuisance taxes, including the betting tax and COVID-19 levy, during the budget reading in March 2025.

Watch the MP’s comments in the video below:

The Abuakwa South MP and former Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has urged President Mahama to retain the betting tax and COVID-19 levy to support scholarship payments and assist international students. pic.twitter.com/ZCtBImjv4i

— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) February 22, 2025

SB/MA