Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, has attributed the ongoing salary delays affecting thousands of teachers, nurses, and junior doctors to what he described as “reckless and unplanned” recruitment under the previous Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration.
His remarks follow a series of street protests by frustrated public sector workers, some of whom say they have gone nearly 10 months without receiving their salaries. The Junior Doctors’ Association has also threatened to withdraw its services if the government fails to clear the arrears soon.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, Dr. Pelpuo said the situation, though regrettable, was largely inherited.
“The situation is indeed unfair, but it stems from irregular recruitment practices under the previous regime,” he explained. “People were employed without following due process. Before one can be paid, there must be financial clearance confirming that funds are available and the employment has been approved. That did not happen in many of these cases.”
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According to him, the former government hired more than 12,000 individuals into the public sector after losing the 2024 elections, despite having made no budgetary allocation for their salaries.
“Over 12,000 people were engaged at a time when the outgoing administration had already lost power. Where was the money supposed to come from?” he questioned.
Dr. Pelpuo further disclosed that the three-month transitional budget handed over to the Mahama administration excluded provisions for these newly recruited workers, worsening the financial pressure on the current government.
“There is a fiscal basket that holds everything, but there was no effort by the previous government to include these recruits in that plan,” he added.
Despite the fiscal challenges, the minister assured affected workers that the government was actively working to resolve the issue.
“We are taking this matter very seriously. I want to assure all nurses, teachers, and junior doctors affected that the government will address their concerns before the end of the year,” Dr. Pelpuo pledged.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem