The Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has clarified that its current industrial action is not meant to challenge the authority of the President in making appointments to the Public Service. In a statement signed by the Executive Secretary, Mr. Isaac Bampoe Addo, after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Accra on Saturday, CLOGSAG emphasized that the strike was in response to the 2017 Supreme Court ruling, which barred civil servants from engaging in partisan politics.
CLOGSAG declared the industrial action effective Thursday, February 20, 2025, in protest of the appointment of Mr. Samuel Adom Botchway as Acting Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry, citing concerns over his status as a “politically exposed person.”
The statement explained, “We wish to state unequivocally that the ongoing strike is not against the authority of the President to appoint officers into the Public Services as enshrined in Article 195 of the 1992 Constitution.” Instead, CLOGSAG said it is drawing attention to the Supreme Court ruling that underscores the importance of neutrality, anonymity, professionalism, and permanence in the Civil and Local Government Service.
CLOGSAG argues that Mr. Botchway’s appointment violates the Supreme Court’s ruling on neutrality because he is politically exposed. The Association is calling for his removal, maintaining that his appointment undermines the professional integrity of the Civil Service.
In response, the Government has appealed to CLOGSAG to reconsider its decision to strike. Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Mr. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the industrial action lacked legal justification. “We do not believe that an efficient basis exists to go on strike because it will be unfair to the people of Ghana who pay the wages of all public officers, including members of CLOGSAG,” he told journalists on Wednesday.
However, after the NEC meeting, CLOGSAG urged its members to continue the strike until Mr. Botchway is removed from office. This is not the first time CLOGSAG has taken a stand against appointments to the Births and Deaths Registry. In 2022, the Association opposed the appointment of Mrs. Henrietta Lamptey as Registrar, arguing that the process contradicted normal procedures.
CLOGSAG subsequently filed a lawsuit at the High Court, challenging the appointment and seeking a declaration that the Births and Deaths Registry is a Civil Service Institution. They also sought an alternative declaration that the Head of Civil Service should have input in the appointment of the Registrar, as required by law. The Court has yet to rule on this case.
