Mahama’s gov’t to prioritize needs-based recruitment – Vanderpuye

The National Coordinator for the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP), Nii Lante Vanderpuye, says the Mahama administration will only recruit based on genuine manpower needs and not political pressure.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Thursday, October 9, 2025, closely monitored by Today.com.gh, Mr. Vanderpuye explained that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had carefully studied the job requirements of various sectors before outlining its employment strategy.

According to him, the approach aims to ensure efficiency, fiscal discipline, and value for money, rather than satisfying short-term political expectations.

“When we prepared our manifesto, we took time to analyse the country’s job needs. The John Dramani Mahama government will not just wake up and recruit. We know the sectors that require more personnel and the exact number needed over the next few years,” he stated.

Mr. Vanderpuye acknowledged that the plan might disappoint some party supporters who expect immediate job placements, but stressed that recruitment will proceed gradually and systematically.

“I understand some of our people may feel frustrated, thinking that because we are in power, jobs should come instantly. But recruitment will be done responsibly — guided by budgetary space and national priorities,” he added.

He also warned against politically motivated employment, arguing that such practices have long undermined productivity and fairness in the public sector.

“For years, we’ve seen recruitment driven by politics rather than national need. That must stop. We should assess the impact of every hiring decision on the economy before considering political interests,” Mr. Vanderpuye said.

The DRIP Coordinator reiterated that President Mahama’s government remains focused on merit-based hiring to promote professionalism and efficiency across public institutions.

However, the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has opposed calls by some legislators to raise the age limit for recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

His comments come in response to recent proposals by the Minister for Communication, Digital Innovation and Technology, Sam George, and Majority Whip Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, who argued that the current age restriction should be reviewed upward to 30 years or more.

The two MPs contend that many Ghanaians within that age bracket are still physically fit and mentally capable of serving in the Armed Forces and should therefore not be disqualified purely on age grounds. They insist that such a reform would allow the country to tap into a wider pool of qualified and disciplined youth who may have completed tertiary education or acquired relevant skills later in life.

However, Rev. Ntim Fordjour has rejected the idea outright, describing it as “misconceived and misguided.” In a strongly worded social media post, the Assin South legislator accused the two MPs of pushing what he called a “populist agenda” aimed at creating room for political favoritism within the Armed Forces.

“Hon. Sam George and Hon. Dafeamekpor’s call for unqualified overage NDC foot soldiers into the military is a misconceived and misguided populist agenda,” he wrote. “We will resist every attempt by the NDC to load their overage foot soldiers into the Ghana Armed Forces. The Ghana Armed Forces is not a dumping ground for overage NDC foot soldiers.”