The Chairman of the Coalition of Stakeholders on Electricity Contracts and Arrangements, Dr Steve Manteaw, has expressed his disbelief in the notion that Ghanaian managers are inherently corrupt and incapable of managing public or state assets.
He argued that the primary issue lies in political interference and the need to shield public enterprises from undue political influence.
Speaking during JoyNews’ National Dialogue on the Power Sector on Thursday, April 18, Dr Manteaw stated that political authorities frequently flout the nation’s laws.
He emphasised that the proper way of filling vacancies in public sector institutions including state-owned enterprises should be through the Public Services Commission.
“So if a vacancy becomes available, it’s supposed to be advertised, and those who feel competent enough to do the job apply and then they get the job, and when they are working, they don’t need to look at the face of any politician,” he said.
Dr Manteaw explained that currently, positions in state-owned enterprises, even junior roles such as communications or public relations officers, are often filled based on political affiliations rather than merit.
He suggested that the problems in Ghana’s power sector could be partly attributed to the failure to place the right individuals in the right positions.
“If we went through a competitive process, and gave the needed space for these people to work, I’m pretty sure they will deliver.
“I believe strongly that the reasons that we are today not told the entire truth about what is happening in the sector is because of political considerations and the fear that we will be handing over some advantage to the opposition party to campaign against the sitting government,” Dr Manteaw said.