At this year’s May Day parade at Black Star Square, President John Dramani Mahama didn’t mince words. Speaking directly to Ghana’s public sector workers, he urged them to break their silence on the mismanagement that’s crippling state-owned enterprises.
“Many of you have been working in atrociously managed institutions for years,” he said. “Don’t keep quiet when leadership is steering your workplace into ruin.”
It was more than a call to action it was a challenge to workers to defend their jobs, their institutions, and the country’s future.
Mahama pointed to GIHOC Distilleries, once a household name, now reportedly deep in debt.
“How does a company selling alcohol something always in demand end up broke?” he asked,
drawing laughter and nods from the crowd. But the message was serious: mismanagement, left unchecked, is eating away at institutions that should be thriving.
His message: public enterprises don’t just belong to their managers they belong to all Ghanaians. And if workers speak out, government will stand with them.
The president also zeroed in on one of the public sector’s sorest spots: pay disparities.
He announced plans to establish a Permanent Independent Emoluments Commission to level the playing field between top government officials and ordinary public servants.
The goal? A fairer wage structure, one that reflects the contributions of everyone from office clerks to directors.
Beyond the speeches, Mahama promised tangible reforms: timely pay, better workspaces, and less bureaucracy.
He painted a picture of a public service that works—for the people inside it and the country it serves.
In a speech that mixed urgency with hope, Mahama reminded workers that their silence can be costly, but their voice can be transformative.
By: J.W Quarm
