The Ranking Member of the Health Committee in Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has criticized the recent recruitment of nurses and midwives by government

According to him, the move is a tactic by the government to influence voters ahead of the December general elections.

The Ministry of Health announced on July 26 that it would be recruiting 15,200 nurses and midwives, with the process set to begin on August 5, 2024. This announcement follows the Ministry of Finance’s issuance of financial clearance.

But in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Tuesday, Mr Akandoh accused the government of strategically timing the recruitment to coincide with the election period.

He believes it is an attempt to sway the votes of health sector graduates.

“This government promised employment in the 2016 elections, particularly in the health sector. They did not carry out any significant recruitment until the election year in 2020, and now they are doing the same. They wait until it’s close to elections before they start recruiting. This is not helping the nation,” he stated.

Mr Akandoh indicated that, such actions undermine good governance and called for politicians to be held accountable for using public sector recruitment as an electoral strategy.

He emphasized the need for consistent employment practices and genuine care for the welfare of the youth, rather than what he described as a “ponzi scheme” approach to governance.

“Regardless of the party, politicians need to be punished for this kind of attitude. If they are voted out when they only work in an election year, they would be more diligent and work within the years. I think it’s a bad practice, it is not good governance and we must stop it,” he added.