The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to withdraw the appointment of Mr. Samuel Adom Botchway as the new Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry.
CLOGSAG argues that Mr. Botchway’s appointment violates a 2017 Supreme Court ruling that ensures the neutrality of the Civil and Local Government Service, which prohibits political interference in its administration.
In a statement delivered at a durbar at the Births and Deaths Registry in Accra on Friday, February 7, Mr. Kojo Krakani, Deputy Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, highlighted that appointing individuals with known political affiliations undermines the service’s neutrality. He pointed out that Mr. Botchway is a recognized activist of the National Democratic Congress and previously served as the District Chief Executive for the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District Assembly in the Central Region.
CLOGSAG is urging the President to urgently withdraw the appointment, warning of the significant negative impact political appointments could have on the integrity of the service. CLOGSAG also cited Article 195 of the 1992 Constitution and Section Two of the Registration of Birth and Death Act 2020 (Act 1027), which mandate that the President appoint the Registrar of Births and Deaths to manage the Registry’s day-to-day operations.
If the appeal is not addressed, CLOGSAG has threatened to direct its members to go on strike. “We urge you to safeguard the Civil Service and Local Government Service and protect it from political infiltration,” Mr. Krakani emphasized.
This is not the first time CLOGSAG has opposed a similar appointment, as they also voiced objections in 2022 against the appointment of Mrs. Henrietta Lamptey as Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry.
The Association argued at the time that the appointment process was at variance with normal practice.
The Association subsequently filed a suit at the High Court, challenging the appointment.
Among the reliefs sought by CLOGSAG was a declaration that “the Births and Deaths Registry is a Civil Service Institution,” alternatively, a declaration that the Head of Civil Service, “must have an input in the appointment of the Registrar of the Births and Deaths as provided by law.”
The Court is yet to deliver judgment on the case.
