Stop partisan removal of state officials – Methodist Church tells politicians

The Methodist Church Ghana has asked the government and politicians to stop replacing state officials on partisan grounds, saying it costs the country skills and experience.

The Presiding Bishop, Most Rev. Prof. Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, made the call in a media interview at the induction of Bro. Alfred Sakyi as the church’s 10th Lay President.

He said that when governments change, managers of state institutions and board members are often replaced, and the country loses institutional knowledge and expertise. He said these appointments are usually shaped by partisan considerations, which hurt continuity and deprive the country of valuable experience.

“The country needs to learn from the principle of allowing people to bring their gifts and skills to the table, but unfortunately, when we have a new government in office, they try to do away with all the people who were in the previous government,” he said.

Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu said a government is entitled to fill its cabinet and ministerial posts with people it trusts, whether they belong to its party or share its vision, but removing everyone from government and state agencies does the nation a disservice.

“Of course, if you want to constitute your cabinet, task the people you trust and so in terms of ministerial positions, you bring in people who belong to your party, or they share your vision, but I think we do ourselves a great disservice when we get rid of all the people in government agencies, state agencies and the like. We lose a lot of knowledge and skill, so we should learn from the principle of recognising what people can do.”

He urged the government to take steps that keep public institutions running smoothly by recognising what people can do and letting them contribute to national development.

Bro. Sakyi, the newly inducted Lay President, pledged to work for the transformation and growth of the church during his term. He also said he will help build more young entrepreneurs in the church.

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