By Eugene Davis
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Ayew Afriyie, has called on the government to immediately pay outstanding salary arrears owed to thousands of newly recruited nurses and midwives, some of whom have gone unpaid for over 10 months.
Speaking to the media in Parliament, Dr. Afriyie criticized what he described as the government’s political mishandling and bureaucratic inertia, stressing that funds had already been allocated under the 2024 financial clearance, and that there was no justification for seeking further approval from Cabinet.
“The financial clearance was already approved and took immediate effect. There’s no reason Cabinet approval should be required again. The money has been allocated—government must pay now,” Dr. Afriyie said.
Background to the Arrears
In 2025, more than 6,000 nurses and midwives recruited under the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other health agencies staged protests over salary arrears that have remained unpaid since their appointment. The delay—spanning nearly a year—affected newly recruited nurses across government and mission health institutions.
Following the agitation, government sources confirmed that payments would begin in November 2025, and that administrative bottlenecks within the Health Ministry and Controller and Accountant-General’s Department were being addressed.
However, the Minority Caucus maintains that the government has been economical with the truth, arguing that the failure to pay the health workers is not due to procedural delays but a lack of political will.
Administrative Lapses and Political Overtones
Dr. Afriyie explained that the financial clearance, which covered about 15,000 recruits, was valid until 31st December 2024. While institutions such as the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) managed to complete validation and pay their workers under the same clearance, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) failed to act in time.
“The GHS completed its recruitment before the clearance expired, yet government failed to extend it—a simple administrative step routinely done in public service,” he noted.
According to him, extensions of financial clearances are common in Ghana’s civil service when there are delays, making government’s inaction “politically suspicious.”
“For political reasons, they refused to extend the clearance. Now, 10 months later, after the nurses took to the streets, they’re pretending to fix the mess they created,” he said.
The Ranking Member described the government’s decision to seek new Cabinet approval as a political smokescreen intended to deflect responsibility for poor coordination between the Ministry of Finance, Health Ministry, and the Ghana Health Service.
Minority’s Position and Appeal
The Minority Caucus says it initially exercised restraint when the nurses began their strike, advising them to return to work while urging the government to regularize their payment processes.
“We were reasonable to the government because governance is a continuum. But it appears our reasonableness has been taken for granted,” Dr. Afriyie remarked.
He warned that the continuous disregard for health workers’ welfare could fuel broader disillusionment among the youth and professionals within Ghana’s public sector.
“Ghanaians matter. Nurses matter. It is unacceptable for a government that claims to prioritize health employment to owe workers for almost a year,” he added.
Analysis: Governance, Accountability, and Political Implications
The controversy surrounding the nurses’ salary arrears highlights systemic weaknesses in Ghana’s public administration—particularly in fiscal coordination, human resource management, and political prioritization.
Although government insists that the delay resulted from technical and validation issues, the Minority’s assertions raise questions about bureaucratic accountability and political sincerity. Financial clearances are typically time-bound but extendable; failure to renew them often signals either administrative neglect or deliberate political decision-making.
Analysts argue that the situation reveals a growing trust deficit between the government and the public sector workforce, particularly in essential services like health and education. The issue also underscores the fragility of Ghana’s health financing architecture, where recruitment, payment, and payroll validation processes remain fragmented across multiple institutions.
The Minority’s intervention appears calculated to draw attention to what it describes as “political governance failure”, a narrative that could resonate strongly with public sector workers ahead of the next electoral cycle. However, some observers note that while the Minority’s critique is justified, it also carries a political undertone aimed at projecting them as defenders of the working class—especially given the current economic hardships.
Ultimately, the standoff between the Minority and the government over the payment delay goes beyond a payroll issue. It reflects a broader struggle over credibility, competence, and public trust in how national resources are managed—particularly in the health sector, which remains a barometer for good governance.
The Minority Caucus has reaffirmed its stance that the government must immediately pay the affected nurses and midwives, insisting that the funds were already approved and available.
“This is not a financial problem—it is a political one. The government should act now and restore dignity to our nurses,” Dr. Afriyie concluded.
If government proceeds with the promised November payments, it may calm tensions temporarily. However, without systemic reforms to prevent such occurrences, delays, protests, and political blame games are likely to persist in Ghana’s public sector payroll system.
