Forty former public service workers have filed a lawsuit against the government, alleging wrongful dismissal following a directive from Chief of Staff Julius Debrah.
The directive, issued on February 10, 2025, ordered the termination of all public sector employees hired after December 7, 2024, the date of the last general elections.
The dismissed employees, represented by the law firm Dame and Partners, claim their removals were politically motivated and unlawful.
The lawsuit lists the Attorney General and six state agencies as co-respondents: the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the National Lottery Authority (NLA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), the Ghana Shippers Council, and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The plaintiffs argue that the directive violated Article 191(b) of the 1992 Constitution, which safeguards public service employees from dismissal except on specific legal grounds. They are seeking multiple legal remedies, including: A declaration that the government lacks the authority to terminate public service employees outside the conditions set in the Constitution, a ruling that the Chief of Staff’s directive is unlawful, null, and void, a certiorari order to quash the dismissal decision, a mandamus order compelling the respondents to reinstate the affected workers, an injunction preventing further dismissals under similar circumstances and Compensation for damages caused by the terminations.
The affected workers maintain that they underwent proper recruitment processes before being hired in 2024, with some passing aptitude tests and interviews.
They claim that even those hired before December 7, 2024, were included in the dismissals, making the directive unjustifiable.
Member of Parliament for Tafo, Ekow Vincent Assafuah, has publicly condemned the dismissals, describing them as a politically motivated purge.
“I know the law is on our side. These 40 individuals represent a larger group of at least 5,000 public sector workers who have been unlawfully terminated under this Mahama-led government. This injustice must be addressed, and they will get their due from the courts,” Assafuah stated.
The case is expected to test the legal boundaries of political transitions and public sector employment security in Ghana.
